Residents of Baneshwar in Cooch Behar district have called a general strike on November 9 following the back-to-back deaths of 10 black softshell turtles in the past three days.

In 2002, the IUCN listed the black softshell turtles as “extinct in the wild”. These turtles, locally called Mohan, hold a special place in the hearts of the residents of Baneshwar, some 12km from Cooch Behar town.

Residents claimed a total of 41 turtles died so far this year with 10 deaths being reported in the past three days.

"The Mohans are dying on the Alipurduar-Cooch Behar state highway because of the insensitivity of the district administration. Residents of Baneshwar can’t tolerate such lackadaisical attitude of the administration and have called a six-hour general strike at Baneshwar from 6am on Thursday,” Parimal Barman, president of Mohan Raksha Committee, said on Monday.

Barman is a Trinamul member of the current board of Cooch Behar Zila Parishad and also the former block president of Cooch Behar. He represents a party, which strongly opposes any strike across the state.

The turtles’ habitat has developed in a pond of the century-old Baneshwar Shiva temple, which is situated beside the state highway and adjacent to Baneshwar railway station.

The management of the temple and its pond is under the Debottar Trust of Cooch Behar and the state tourism department.

“During the night these turtles come from the pond and wander over the road and get killed by speeding vehicles,” one of the representatives of the committee said.

The committee members want the administration to illuminate the spot.

“We want traffic to be restricted at 20km per hour along this stretch. The administration should also construct speed breakers and install “hit gun” to check the vehicle speed,” said Barman. “Despite the deaths the administration has failed to undertake safety measures.”

An official source in the administration, however, said they have taken several measures to protect the turtles.

"Drivers are instructed to slow down their vehicle’s speed and placards have been placed on both sides of the road in adjacent areas of the temple,” the source said.

Some locals also worship these turtles. Local legend has it that these turtles were sent as part of wedding gifts from a royal family in Assam to its counterpart in Cooch Behar centuries ago.

Stolen phones

Police seized 15 stolen smartphones from a truck that was about to cross over to Bangladesh through the international land port at Mahadipur under Englishbazar police station in Malda on Sunday evening.

The incident highlights the increasing use of truck drivers to smuggle items across the international border.

In this case, the truck driver was arrested a case was registered by Englishbazar police.

Police sources said that a truck bearing registration number WB59 A 7326 was waiting at the parking zone of Mahadipur. The truck was laden with stone chips.

Based on reliable information, a police team from Lukochuri outpost searched the truck.

"During the search, 15 smartphones wrapped in packets were found inside the driver’s cabin. The driver, Nuruddin Shaikh, could not explain why they were there,” said a police source.

Nuruddin was arrested and the smartphones were seized.

"During interrogation, the truck driver confessed he had received the phones from one Mannan Sheikh of Golapganj under Kaliachak police station in Malda district," a police source said.

Police officers cited a steady rise in instances of truck drivers who were being used to help smuggle goods inside Bangladesh.

Youth shot at

A 21-year-old was thrashed on Monday evening in Malda district's Uzirpur by a group of youths for allegedly abetting an elopement, and when his 23-year-old brother tried to help him, he was shot at.

Pawan Mandal suffered a bullet wound on one knee.

He and his younger brother Chiranjit, who was beaten up, are presently under treatment at Malda Medical College and Hospital.