AL withdraws Wednesday\\\'s hartal in Bagerhat

Local Awami League has withdrawn its Wednesday’s hartal (shutdown) in Bagerhat after police recorded an extortion case against 21 people, including managing director of New Bashundhara Real Estate Abdul Mannan. Sheikh Bashirul Islam, president of Bagerhat Municipality unit of AL, said the decision to call of the hartal came on Tuesday after police recorded the case. Ali Azam Khan, officer-in-charge of Bagerhat Model Police Station, said they recorded the case filed by Bagerhat municipality councillor Talukdar A Baki, also president of Inter-district Motor Workers Union. He said the case was filed for threatening and demanding Tk 1 million as extortion. Earlier on May 13, the union imposed a transport strike in the district following the arrest of its general secretary Mina Hasibul Hasan Shipon and Siddiqur on charge of demanding extortion and attacking the office of the real estate company. Later on May 14, the strike was called off after they were freed on bail, according to UNB.