A business dispute in Rajbari took an ugly turn on Saturday afternoon when a female entrepreneur was publicly assaulted while being escorted by law enforcement personnel in the heart of the town’s primary textile market.
The victim, Zakia Sultana, runs a garment manufacturing enterprise named Astha Poshak Shilpa on the third floor of the Kaderia Market, a business she has operated since 2012. Her residence is located in the Boropul area of the town. Footage of the incident has since circulated widely across social media platforms, drawing public concern regarding street safety and the efficacy of police escorts during local conflicts.
According to the details emerging from the locality, tensions began weeks prior involving a former employee, Shahnaz Parveen, who had joined Sultana’s workshop a few months ago. Parveen recently decided to step down from her position. A disagreement arose over the completion of pending tasks and the settlement of wages. On 22 August, the dispute flared up during a verbal exchange over financial dues.
Sultana stated that on the night of 23 August, Parveen returned to the premises accompanied by several outsiders, demanding an immediate wage settlement within twenty-four hours. This confrontation escalated into an attack on the workshop. The following day, Sultana sought arbitration from the local market committee, though she was advised to pursue legal channels instead.
Benzir Ahmed, the convenor of the Rajbari Bazar Business Welfare Association, noted that upon receiving news of the unrest, he rushed to the cloth market area to pacify both factions. An initial local settlement was attempted between the involved parties.
On Saturday afternoon, Sultana staged a protest march and human chain to denounce the earlier attack on her business. During the demonstration, clashes erupted with rival traders. Police intervened to control the situation and rescued Sultana, escorting her away from the volatile scene.
Footage circulating online captures the dramatic moments of the evacuation. As Sultana walks flanked by a female police officer and several other law enforcement personnel amidst a hostile crowd, individuals from the sidelines break through. One young man attempts to deliver a kick, another tries a similar assault from a different angle, and a bystander strikes her from behind.
Despite the physical altercation captured on camera, Sultana confirmed that she had not filed a formal written complaint at the local police station immediately following the event. Instead, she is preparing to submit detailed grievances to relevant government bodies, including the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs.
Uttam Kumar Ghosh, the officer-in-charge of Rajbari Sadar Police Station, confirmed that neither party had registered a formal complaint regarding Saturday’s altercation at the station.
Meanwhile, the proliferation of the video on social media has triggered a wave of misinformation and unverified claims. One widely shared post alleged that the victim was targeted by local traders after lodging a complaint with consumer rights authorities, questioning the safety of women under police protection. Another completely unrelated narrative falsely linked the footage to a theoretical assault on an executive magistrate by an Upazila Nirbahi Officer. Authorities have urged citizens to disregard these fabricated claims, as investigations into the local market confrontation continue independently of online rumors.
