Gafargaon (Mymensingh) Correspondent

In two separate operations, the Army seized an excavator and raided a gambling hall in Gafargaon, Mymensingh and seized gambling equipment.

It is learned that the accused escaped while illegally cutting the banks of the old Brahmaputra River with a soil cutting machine (Beku) in Charalgi Union on Tuesday night and selling sand.

At that time, the Army seized the excavator. In a separate operation, the army demolished a gambling hall set up on a barge boat in the middle of the Kurchai Kalibana river in Niguari Union of the upazila. Sensing the presence of army members during the operation, the people engaged in cutting the river banks and gamblers fled. Later, the Beku machine used for cutting the river banks and the barge boat set up on the gambling hall were seized.

Major Abdullah Al Sharif, in charge of the temporary army camp in Gafargaon, conducted these raids with his team. Following complaints from the locals, the army camp immediately took action on Monday and Tuesday.

According to the raid sources, some unscrupulous locals of Charalgi village in Charalgi union were illegally cutting sand from the river banks and selling it through a syndicate, evading government revenue. On the other hand, on Monday evening, the army raided Kurchai village in Niguari union while people were gambling in a barge boat on the Kalibana river. The gamblers fled, but the army seized the boat and gambling equipment.

Locals said that Farid Kha and his associates used to regularly organize these gambling parties.

The youth of the area were becoming dangerous. Major Abdullah Al Sharif, in charge of the temporary army camp in Gafargaon, said that these measures were taken in the public interest when local people informed the army about the matter.