Rajshahi Zilla Parishad CEO held with drugs

Department of Narcotics Control (DNC) detained Md Nuruzzaman, chief executive officer of Rajshahi Zilla Parishad, from Chapainawabganj while he was carrying banned phensidyl in a government vehicle.

However, the DNC was unable to hand over BCS cadre official Nuruzzaman to the police because of "pressure from local government high-ups", Zafrullah Kazal, additional director of DNC in Rajshahi division, told our Rajshahi correspondent.

Acting on a tip off that phensidyl were being carried in a government vehicle of Rajshahi, the DNC officials set up a check point at the toll plaza of Mahananda Bridge in Chapainawabganj town from Friday evening.

At 8:30pm, Nuruzzaman was seen driving a government vehicle, said the official.

The DNC officials found another man Ohiduzzaman Lazuk, 44, an alleged drug peddler, in the passenger's seat.

The phensidyl, which amounted to 6.8 litres, was kept in five large bottles of soft drinks at Lazuk's leg space, said the DNC official.

Nuruzzaman identified himself as a Deputy Secretary of the government and Lazuk as one of his friends, the DNC official said.

After he was detained at 8:30pm, Md Nuruzzaman was taken to Chapainawabganj circuit house for confirmation of his identity from local government officials.

Since then, he was staying at the circuit house as the local government officials were not allowing the department officials to take him to the police station, claimed the DNC official.

Contacted, Chapainawabganj's Deputy Commissioner Manjurul Hafiz denied that there was any pressures on DNC officials.

"Law has its own course, I have no authority to hinder the legal process. It is totally a false claim that we are trying to stop the arrest," said the DC.

However, the DC said, the detained official was still staying at the circuit house and the narcotics control officials were also at the circuit house, to take him to police station.

Meanwhile, Saiful Islam, inspector of DNC's Chapainawabganj office, filed a case against the duo with Chapainawabganj Sadar Police Station this afternoon, said Mozaffar Hossain, officer-in-charge of the police station.

The officials of the Department of Narcotics Control will investigate the case, added the police official.

DNC official Kazal further said the arrestees were taken to the district court around 2:30pm to produce before magistrate.