Shahnaz Khatun, a former woman vice-chairman of Bholahat upazila in Chapainawabganj and a BNP leader, has alleged that she was arrested and then taken to a mango orchard and beaten by Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Md Yasir Arafat and Bholahat Police Station officer-in-charge (OC) Shahidul Islam.
She made the allegation at a press conference at the Chapainawabganj District Press Club at 11am on Monday, 14 July. Shahnaz Khatun is also a former joint convener of the upazila BNP.
Her account
Shahnaz Khatun said a woman worker of hers in Bholahat had been abused by her husband. When the woman went to Bholahat Police Station to file a case against him, the OC demanded Tk 50,000. She then contacted Shahnaz, who contacted the OC. OC Shahidul Islam promised to help but did not. She then contacted the superintendent of police, who, she said, threatened to arrest her.
She said police detained her from the Medical Mor area of the upazila at around 8pm on Saturday, 28 June, even though the OC could not show a warrant in her name. She lay down in the road, refusing to go to the police station, but the Bholahat OC dragged her there. Late that night she was taken to a mango orchard in the Kolmugara area on the Bholahat-Shibganj road, where Additional Superintendent of Police Md Yasir Arafat grabbed her from behind and beat her with a stick, she alleged.
She said she was then taken to the Chapainawabganj police outpost and blindfolded. With her eyes covered and her hands tied behind her, she was subjected to inhuman torture from 1am until 4pm the next day. She was later given first aid in hospital and taken to court, but was not brought before the judge, because, she said, they knew she would tell the judge about the torture. "I want justice for this police torture," she said.
Police response
Bholahat Police Station OC Shahidul Islam said Shahnaz was an accused person named in a warrant, so she was arrested and sent to court. He said she was not beaten.
Chapainawabganj Superintendent of Police Md Rezaul Karim said Shahnaz was arrested because there were regular cases against her. At the time of arrest she refused to get into the vehicle, so the OC, along with a woman police officer, helped her into it. But she was not tortured, he said, adding that she was doing all this to escape the cases.
Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.
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