Dhaka, March 16 -- A video of policemen and hawkers beating up a union council chairman during his attempt to free a highway from encroachment in Narayanganj's Rupganj Upazila has gone viral on social media. Police withdrew a sub-inspector from duty after the law enforcers were accused of siding with the hawkers in exchange for extortion money. Ariful Haque Bhuiyan, chairman of Bhulta Union Council, said on Saturday that he informed the superintendent of police and the deputy commissioner of the district.

He would file a written complaint over the incident that occurred in the Bhulta bend area on the Dhaka-Sylhet Highway on Friday. Ariful said the hawkers came back to the highway after a drive to remove them several weeks ago. "When I sa...