Two Arrested After Woman Publicly Tortured and Humiliated in Shariatpur Village
Photo Collected
Police in Shariatpur’s Bhedarganj upazila have arrested two individuals following the brutal assault of an 18-year-old woman who was tied to a tree, beaten, forced to wear a garland of shoes, and had her hair shorn by attackers. The incident, which occurred last Tuesday, gained public attention after videos of the torture circulated on Facebook on Friday.
The suspects, identified as Afsana Begum and Amir, were apprehended early Saturday morning. They are among six people named in a case filed by the victim’s family. The victim and her 12-year-old sister, who was also tied to a post during the ordeal, were held captive for approximately three hours.
The victim’s family, who moved to Bhedarganj after being displaced by river erosion in Chandpur, alleges the violence was orchestrated after the young woman rejected sexual advances from a local grocer named Monir Hossain Molla. According to the family, the incident began when the victim visited the shop on Tuesday morning. When she threatened to report the grocer’s harassment to her parents, she and her siblings were detained and subsequently subjected to physical abuse at a rented property.
Witnesses and family members state that the primary assailants included Monir Hossain, the landlord Fauzia Sardar, and two relatives identified as Nishi Akter and Afsana Begum. The victim reported that despite her pleas for mercy, the attackers proceeded to cut her hair and force a garland of shoes around her neck. Sakhipur police eventually intervened and rescued the sisters after receiving a report.
The victim’s mother claimed that they were initially intimidated by the accused, forcing them to flee their residence and seek shelter in a nearby village. She alleged that Monir had been detained by police shortly after the incident but was released later that night, leading to threats against the family.
Monir Hossain has denied the allegations of sexual harassment, claiming instead that he detained the young woman on suspicion of theft. He further alleged that the landlord, Fauzia Sardar, took over the situation to coerce payment for rent arrears. Monir and Fauzia Sardar have since vacated their homes and remain at large.
Sakhipur Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mofazzal Hossain confirmed that law enforcement provided medical care to the victim following her rescue. He stated that while the family was initially hesitant to press charges, a formal case was later filed. Efforts are currently underway to locate and arrest the remaining four suspects involved in the assault.
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