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A labour inspector was detained in Kuakata, Patuakhali, on Friday night for allegedly demanding bribes from hotel owners in exchange for renewing their licences.
The detainee was identified as Md Shahab Uddin, an inspector with the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments.
Hotel owners alleged that he demanded Tk 50,000 from Kuakata Palace and Hotel Shaibal for licence renewal.
A total of Tk 37,000, reportedly collected from three hotels, was recovered during the incident.
According to hotel owners, the inspector had been collecting money from hotels for the past two years, threatening legal action against those who refused to pay.
Kalapara Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Md Arifuzzaman said he visited the scene after receiving information and found preliminary evidence supporting the allegations. The recovered money was later returned to the hotel authorities.
Nabin Howlader, deputy inspector general of the department in Barishal, said the government-prescribed licence renewal fee was a maximum of Tk 1,500, adding that there was no provision for personally collecting cash.
He said the matter would be discussed with senior officials before further action was taken against the inspector.