Brahmanbaria Correspondent – Authorities in Nasirnagar upazila of Brahmanbaria have seized 162 sacks of government rice allocated under the VGD and VGF food-friendly programs intended for the poor and underprivileged.

The seizure took place on Monday night (September 15) based on a tip-off. A joint raid led by Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Shahina Nasrin and Upazila Food Warehouse Officer Monirul Islam was conducted at a shop on Gaur Mandir Road in the Sadar area.

Two individuals—Shaha Kamal Miah, son of Saraj Miah, and Jewel Miah, son of Lalon Miah, both from Ashurail village in Burishwar Union—were detained while attempting to move the rice from the shop, owned by Motahar Miah and Rahmat Ali.

According to officials, the rice—intended for the most vulnerable citizens—was being illegally stored for unauthorized resale. In addition to the rice, 150 empty government sacks, a digital weighing scale, and a sack sewing machine were recovered and secured in the UNO’s office.

UNO Shahina Nasrin told reporters, “Embezzling government rice by depriving legitimate beneficiaries is a criminal offense. No one involved in this crime will be spared. We have recovered 162 full sacks and 150 empty ones.”

Upazila Food Officer Monirul Islam added that 26 authorized dealers distribute food under the government’s food-friendly program in Nasirnagar. “They collect rice from the government warehouse and distribute it to card-holding beneficiaries. However, in this case, we could not identify the owner of the seized rice,” he said.

The incident has sparked public outrage, with locals demanding strict punishment for those involved in misappropriating relief supplies. Many residents expressed relief at the successful operation and urged authorities to conduct such anti-corruption drives regularly to deter future misconduct.