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| Bangladesh |
| Bogra NGO swindles poor depositors |
| 2008-10-23 |
| Two officials of Protikar, a non-government organisation (NGO), were held by locals in Bogra last night while allegedly making away with Tk 6.52 crore collected from about 10,000 women for providing them with training. Meanwhile, about 50 people were injured in a clash between two groups over the money swindled by an NGO Freedom Unnayan Sangstha (FUS) at Nimtala bazar of Puthia upazila on Monday night. Our Bogra correspondent reports: locals handed over Protikar officials Ratan Kumar Rabidas and his brother Jatish Kumar Rabidas to the police. "The NGO set up several cooperatives in and around the area and collected Tk 6,525 from each woman in the name of creating job opportunity by providing them with training," said Dhunat Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Abdullah Harun. Ratan Kumar told the journalists that they had collected Tk 22,837,000 from the members of the organisation. However, the members alleged that the organisation collected about Tk 6.52 crore from around 10,000 members of the NGO. Abdullah Harun said there had been allegations against the NGO after it launched its activities at the beginning of this year. Later, Protikar was compelled to discontinue its activities. But it continued its operation secretly at Dhunat and in several areas of Sherpur and Sirajganj. Our Rajshahi correspondent reports: Local people alleged that Freedom Unnayan Sangstha (FUS) in collusion with some administrative officials made away with around Tk 500 crore deposited by its members early this year. Following a court verdict against the NGO on October 8, about 10 members of the organisation went to the house of Mahbubur Rahman, Puthia branch manager of FUS, at about 7:00pm on Monday night for getting back Tk 7 lakh they paid to the NGO. When Mahbubur denied to pay them back saying he would appeal against the court verdict, they beat him up. Later, Mahbubur along with his henchmen swooped on the NGO members at Nimtala bazar at around 9:00pm. They beat up the NGO members and also damaged five shops. Around 50 people were injured in the clash. Of the wounded, 16 were admitted to Puthia Health Complex and Rajshahi Medical College Hospital. A case was filed against 19 people including Mahbubur. However, none had been arrested. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #2 There - fixed. |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2008-10-23 18:45 |
| #1 Looks like another |
| Posted by: tu3031 2008-10-23 10:49 |