Suspended BNP leader Shahab Uddin arrested over Sada Pathor looting

Rapid Action Battalion (Rab-9) last night arrested suspended BNP leader Shahab Uddin, prime suspect in the case filed over the looting of large-scale white stone from Sada Pathor area in Sylhet’s Companiganj upazila.

Shahab Uddin, former president of Companiganj unit of BNP, was arrested in Sylhet city’s Kumarpara area around 11:15pm, Rab said in a press release early today.

The release described him as “one of the masterminds” behind the large-scale looting of stones from the tourist attraction.

He was later handed over to police in connection with the case filed by Bureau of Mineral Development with Companiganj Police Station on August 15, in which 1,000–1,500 unidentified people were also made accused.

According to Rab, Shahab is also an accused in seven other cases with Companiganj and Kotwali police stations.

Over the past year, huge quantities of stones were illegally extracted from Companiganj and Gowainghat upazilas, sparking national outrage after media reports exposed the scale of the looting.

The government has since formed an inter-ministerial probe body to investigate the stone looting, which is awaiting submission of its report to the Cabinet Division.