MP, Kahalu AL chief at odds over rice for Food for Work

Leaders and workers of Kahalu upazila Awami League yesterday brought corruption charge against a woman lawmaker and surrounded her at the upazila headquarters.
They also staged a demonstration against the lawmaker, alleging that she is taking Tk 5,000 against allocation of each tonnes of rice under "Food for Work" programme in the upazila.
The lawmaker, Khadiza Khatun Shefali, faced the unpleasant situation on her arrival at upazila parishad office at around 4:00pm in connection with the programme.
In the face of agitation, she left the place under police escort and went to the local police station.
When contacted, lawmaker Shefali alleged that local AL men brought out a procession at the instigation of upazila AL President Helal Uddin Kabiraj.
“As I refused to give him (Kabiraj) the rice allocated by the government under “Food for Work” programme, he brought a false graft charge against me,” the woman lawmaker said.
Helal Uddin Kabiraj could not be contacted for his version despite several attempts on cellphone.
Following the incident, Kahalu police filed a general diary (GD) against Helal Uddin Kabiraj and some other AL men.