Swindlers vanish after cheating hundreds
Cheated by swindler cooperative styled 'Durbeen', one of its members holds his deposit book with marks of despair on his face at Burimari Bazar in Patgram upazila under Lalmonirhat district. The photo was taken a few days ago. PHOTO: STAR
Swindlers have gone into hiding after cheating around a thousand people in the name of a cooperative styled 'Durbeen' in different areas of Kaliganj and Patgram upazilas under the district.
During the last six months, the cooperative collected at least Tk 50 lakh from around a thousand people promising to give them loan at different villages of the two upazilas but the organisation officials went into hiding late last month, locals said.
"I became a member of Durbeen on January 1 this year and deposited Tk 3600 as a local representative of the organisation told me that I would get loan of Tk 40 thousand from them to run my business. But the cooperative staff went into hiding before giving the loan to me,” said Motiar Rahman, 42, a small trader at Burimari Land Port Bazar in Patgram upazila.
Bokul Miah, 44, a small fruit trader in the same market, said he deposited Tk 4,500 to the cooperative following assurance of getting loan of Tk 50,000 from the organisation.
Mofidul Islam, 45, a grocer at Bhotmari Bazar in Kaliganj upazila, also deposited Tk 4700 to the organisation upon similar assurance.
The traders expressed their utter frustration as the co-called cooperative officials made good with the deposited money before giving the loan.
Like them, at least 120 small traders at Bhotmari and Bhullarhat Bazars deposited huge amount of money with the hope of getting loan, the traders said.
Now it is too late when they understand that the organisation authorities cheated them.
Lalmonirhat District Cooperative Officer Nur Mohammad said, "My office has already gotten a probe report from Kaliganj upazila office regarding allegation of cheating by cooperative Durbeen. I am preparing to take legal action against the perpetrators who cheated so many people in the two upazilas."
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