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Mob stones Altaf's motorcade

OUR CORRESPONDENT, Barisal
A mob yesterday barricaded Barisal-Dhaka highway for six hours and threw bricks on the motorcade of the home minister protesting an early morning armed
robbery at Gournadi bazaar allegedly aided and abetted by police.
Victims, eyewitnesses and local people said that the robbery took place within 35 yards of the local RRF police camp and that police
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refused to resist the robbers.
They said traders of Kasba cattle market deposited Tk 7.58 lakh with Safizuddin Sarder, a trusted local trader, on Thursday evening as the bank was closed before they could complete transaction and Friday being bank holiday.
Safizuddin kept the money in the iron safe of his pharmacy, Janata Medical Hall, at Torki Bandar. At around 4:00 yesterday morning, a band of robbers barged into the drug store through the back door and tied and beat Shafizuddin up for the money. Sensing the swoop on his neighbour, grocer Dwijen Chandra alias Jhantu Mandal rushed to Torki Bandar RRF police camp and asked for help.
However, police declined to come to their aid and instead, detained and interrogated Jhantu, locals alleged. When Jhantu tried to alert the locals by shouting at the top of his voice, RRF constables Sagor and Kamal allegedly threatened to kill him right there. Police freed Jhantu only after the robbers slipped into safety with the booty.
Hearing the robbery and alleged police inaction apparently to aid the robbers, local people threw up benches and burning tyres to barricade Barisal-Dhaka highway from
6:00am. They also threw bricks and vegetables on Home Minister Altaf Hossain Choudhury's motorcade which was driving by the area to Dhaka at around 9:30am as the minister ignored their demand to talk to them.
The mob also held a protest meeting on the highway. Afterwards, high police officials, who were escorting the home minister, came back and said the minister has asked them to talk with them (locals).
People demanded immediate arrest of the criminals, recovery of the looted amount, punishment to the 'truant' policemen of the camp and assurance on safety and security of lives and assets of the traders.
The police officials assured them of immediate action against the criminals and punishment to the police personnel who neglected their duty. The highway was eventually opened to traffic at 11:00am.
A case was lodged with Gournadi Police Station without naming anyone and no body was arrested nor anything recovered.
Deputy Inspector General, Barisal Range, Golam Mustafa admitted the robbery, but denied that bricks and vegetables were thrown on the motorcade.