Woman allegedly tied to tree and tortured over chicken theft accusation in Noakhali
Photo Collected
Police have arrested one suspect following the public torture of a woman in Senbagh Upazila of Noakhali, who was allegedly tied to a tree and assaulted over accusations of chicken theft. The victim, a middle-aged woman living alone while her husband works abroad, has filed a formal case against four individuals under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act.
The incident, which occurred last Friday night, drew widespread attention after a 20-second video of the assault circulated on social media. The footage depicts the woman tied to a tree, surrounded by onlookers recording the scene on their mobile phones. According to the victim’s testimony at a press conference held Wednesday, the perpetrators forcibly entered her home, seized her phone, molested her, and dragged her to a neighboring property. She alleged that she was held and beaten until 1:00 a.m. while the assailants attempted to frame her by placing stolen chickens in her possession.
The victim claims the assault was motivated by an ongoing land dispute with the suspects, who she alleges also stole a gold chain from her person during the encounter. She further stated that the local Union Parishad (UP) Chairman was present at the scene but failed to intervene, allegedly siding with the aggressors.
Conversely, a group of local residents held a protest and human chain, claiming the woman’s case is a retaliatory tactic intended to harass villagers and conceal her alleged involvement in theft. The local UP Chairman defended his actions, asserting that he arrived after the woman had already been detained by locals. He claimed the woman confessed to the theft and that 45 chickens were recovered from her residence, though he acknowledged she later reported the assault and molestation to his office.
Senbagh Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Abdur Rahim confirmed that an investigation was launched immediately after authorities became aware of the circulating footage. He stated that the police have verified the details of the incident and are actively searching for the remaining suspects. The case remains under active investigation.
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