Ctg traders protest attack

Traders staged an eight-hour strike in the city’s Khulshi area on Sunday protesting the attack on their fellows by extortionists. The traders kept shutters of their business establishments down during the strike that began around 8 am. During the strike, the traders put barricade on both sides of a level crossing at Ambagan Jhautala. However, they withdrew the barricade as police assured them of arresting the extortionists. Quoting local traders, police said a group of criminals beat meat trader Swapan on Saturday night as he refused to give them Tk 2.0 million as extortion. When protested, the criminals also assaulted Makbul Ahmed, general secretary of Jhautala Banik Kalyan Samity. Angered at the incident, the traders soon swooped on the house of Kazi Shahjahan, organising secretary of local Railway Sramik League, and beat him and his brother Jahangir, according to a news agency.