Police have arrested Zahidul Alam Jahangir, the suspended president of the Mithamain Upazila unit of the BNP, in connection with a case over cutting trees planted on an embankment in Kamalpur area of Kishoreganj’s Mithamain upazila. The arrest took place on Wednesday evening in the district town, confirmed by Kishoreganj Superintendent of Police Dr. S M Farhad Hossain.

Earlier, on Tuesday, Upazila Engineer Faizur Razzak filed a case with Mithamain Police Station over the incident. Following the filing of the case, the BNP central committee suspended Jahangir’s primary membership and all organizational posts. According to the report, Jahangir had been cutting down trees since August 5 to make access to his home easier, removing about 20 trees planted to prevent river erosion.

Local residents said the trees were cut in phases, with the last batch of 10 to 12 trees felled on February 21 using an electric saw. Each tree was estimated to be worth between Tk 20,000 and Tk 25,000.