& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

Half-day strike at drug stores called for today

STAFF CORRESPONDENT
Bangladesh Chemist and Druggist Association (BCDA) has called for a nation-wide half-day shutdown today in protest of continued police harassment.
President of the association Md Sadequr Rahman told The Daily Star yesterday that more than 5000 BCDA members assembled yesterday at the Mirpur section-10 roundabout and decided to keep all medicine stores across the country closed today for eight hours from 6:00am.
"We had earlier given an ultimatum to the government--which ended at 5:00pm yesterday--to remove the corrupt police officer from his position in Mirpur zone. Since our demands were not met, we decided to go for this action," he said.
The leaders from Mirpur, Kafrul and Pallabi areas united under a single banner accused Assistant Police Commissioner of Mirpur zone Ziaul Huq Zia of having ordered frequent raids in the drug stores in a bid to what they termed "realise toll regularly".
They also alleged that the police in the name of surprise raids to find contraband drugs arrest salesmen and seize drugs. "This is very frequent particularly in Mirpur, Kafrul and Pallabi areas and it has now gone beyond tolerance," said an aggrieved salesman. "After the arrest, the police negotiate with the drug store owners for bribes to settle the release of the salesmen."
The leaders of the drug stores assembling at the Mirpur section-10 roundabout on Monday and yesterday demanded immediate removal of Ziaul Huq Zia.
Rahman said, "If there is no progress on Wednesday too, we may go for tougher action like indefinite country-wide strike."
Meanwhile, the BCDA in greater Mirpur areas with solidarity from the central committee leaders in Mitford Hospital area continued their strike for the third day yesterday protesting frequent police atrocities, arrest of salesmen from certain drug stores in recent times and periodic unauthorised toll collection from drug shop owners.
Sadequr Rahman said the BCDA leaders have documents to prove that Zia realised bribe worth over Tk 5 lakh.
"He realised the money at various times from different drug stores and threatened them not to disclose it. Those who raised voices against him fell victim to Zia's vicious practice of detaining salesmen," Rahman explained.
When contacted over telephone, Ziaul Huq Zia claimed he is innocent and said the BCDA leaders are giving lame excuses to cover selling of illegal drugs.
"Last week I arrested six people from three different drug stores in the greater Mirpur area with evidence of banned drugs like Viagra, cough syrup Tixi and alcohol. They get united and protest every time police seize unregistered drugs from the drug stores. In fact, they also tried to offer me money in a bid to write off their crime," Zia told this correspondent.
"I have full support from my senior officers and I will continue to carry out my duties as per the laws," said Zia.
The BCDA leaders will meet today at three places--Mitford Hospital area, near Banghabandhu Shiekh Mujib Medical University and Mirpur section-10 roundabout--and announce further action.