SUKS, allegedly deprived its members of their deposited money giving them cheques which were dishonoured. As a result its field workers earned people's wrath.

The demonstrators assembled in front of SUKS office from morning and laid a siege forcing its officials to leave the office.

The demonstrators captured the office and kept the office manager Ansar Ali confined into his room for nearly an hour till police took control of the office and recovered Ali.

The demonstrators formed a human chain at Shaheb Bazar Zero point, but police dispersed them charging baton on a few of them.

Established in 1993, the NGO has been collecting members through 70 branch offices in Dinajpur, Bogra, Joypurhat, Naogaon, Natore, Chapainawabganj and Rajshahi districts.

The demonstrating members alleged that the NGO promised them attractive benefits without approval of Bangladesh Bank. But they are not getting their money back after fulfillment of their terms of deposit.

A few of them alleged that they were given cheques of their profits against their deposits, but the cheques were dishonoured.

The NGO has reportedly withdrawan some of its branches in Natore, Naogaon, Chapainawabganj and Rajshahi districts after members of the branches assaulted field workers for irregularities.

Field workers and members were beaten up at the head office recently while they went to the office demanding their deposited cash back, it was alleged.

Several field workers of the NGO submitted a memorandum to the deputy commissioner (DC) of Rajshahi raising seven complaints of irregularities, corruption and fund misappropriation against the NGO in November last year.

Nazrul Islam, a field worker of the NGO in Motihar thana area told reporters that he returned the members' money by selling his domestic animals.

Latif Ali of Kharkhari area also sold his dwelling house in the city for saving skin from the members' wrath.

But Rehana and Heera Parvin of Chapainawabganj have fled home to save themselves from members' wrath as they have nothing to sell.

Abdul Mannan, a field worker of Shibganj upazila collected maney from 40 members since he joined the NGO two years ago and now he has become a defaulter of Tk 70,000 as the NGO failed to pay back money to the members.

Masud Rana of Taherpur in Puthia upazila told that he deposited Tk 450 every month after he became a member of the NGO in June, 2000. On completion of his term the NGO authority gave him a cheque which was dishonoured.

The condition of Mojibur Rahman of Shibganj, Saleha Yasmin, Abdus Salam of Charghat upazila and Nazmun Nahar in Laxmipur area of the city are similar.

On March 29, the Bagha upazila branch manager of the NGO Alamgir Hossain filed a case with the chief metropolitan magistrate of Rajshahi against the NGO authority for misappropriating Tk 13.65 lakh of public money.

Boalia thana police are investigating the case, where SUKS chairman SAQM Harun, managing director Nazrul Islam and director (accounts) Naimuddin were accused.