RAJSHAHI, Feb 28, (V7N) - A case has been filed against Ahaduzzaman Nazim, director of a coaching center in Hargram, Rajshahi city, for allegedly molesting a class 11 student. Locals apprehended the accused after the incident on Thursday afternoon and handed him over to Kashiadanga Police Station. Police confirmed Nazim, also a lecturer at a local degree college, had faced similar allegations before, including a case in December 2021. Officer-in-Charge Md. Farhad Ali said the victim herself filed the case and legal action is underway.

Meanwhile, in the Bhadra Basti slum near the railway line, residents have launched a grassroots campaign to eradicate drugs. About 200 families live in the area, long plagued by marijuana, Yaba, and Tapentadol sales. Locals allege police inaction, with the Metropolitan and Railway Police shifting responsibility. In response, residents united to ban drug sales and consumption, conducting raids, seizing narcotics, and burning them publicly.

On February 23, slum dwellers raided houses of suspected dealers and later disrupted a drug-taking party, warning those involved. Even an Assistant Sub-Inspector of the Railway Security Force was found at the gathering and released with a warning. Subsequent raids led to arrests of Fuad and Moyna Begum, later prosecuted by the Narcotics Control Department. Three suspects were sentenced through a mobile court and sent to jail.

Local activists including Rubel, Zia, and Jubo Dal members spearheaded the resistance. “The slum had become a paradise for drugs. So we all built resistance together. Now the dealers are in panic,” said Biplob Rahman Naeem. Police officials acknowledged the initiative, with Chandrima Police Station OC Monirul Islam calling social resistance “a positive step.”

The dual developments — a teacher’s arrest for molestation and slum dwellers’ united stand against drugs — underscore Rajshahi’s ongoing struggle with law and order. Authorities pledged investigations, while citizens continue to demand accountability and safer communities.

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