Police in Rajbari have arrested three young men in connection with a widely circulated incident involving the physical assault of a female entrepreneur, which took place in full view of police officers following a business dispute.
Uttam Kumar Ghosh, Officer-in-Charge of Rajbari Sadar Police Station, confirmed the formal registration of the case and the subsequent arrests on Tuesday afternoon, 1 September.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Abdullah Al Siam Khan, 19, son of the late Jamjam Khan from Dhunchi Ward 1; Md Rubel Hossain, 19, son of Md Delowar Hossain from Dhunchi 28 Colony; and Md Helal Uddin, 38, son of Abdul Jalil from Ward 8 in Dhunchi village under Rajbari Municipality.
The legal action stems from a formal complaint lodged by the victim, Zakia Sultana, on Monday night. Her initial information report names nine identified individuals alongside 50 to 60 unnamed suspects.
According to the details outlined in the case statement, Zakia operates a garment manufacturing enterprise named ‘Astha Poshak Shilpa Garments’, located on the second floor of Kaderia Super Market in Rajbari’s Boro Bazar. The dispute reportedly began after a former employee resigned, leading to disagreements regarding outstanding wages and inventory accounts.
On 23 August, the former employee allegedly led a group of 15 to 20 individuals to Zakia’s establishment to demand payment, issuing threats against her. The friction escalated on Saturday, 29 August, around 11:00 am, culminating in a heated confrontation between Zakia and local cloth merchants in Boro Bazar. Accompanied by several women, Zakia staged a demonstration in the market to demand justice for the previous harassment and threats directed at her business.
Eyewitnesses reported that during the standoff, a crowd assaulted Zakia despite the physical presence of police officers deployed to manage the situation. Video footage of the assault quickly circulated across social media platforms, sparking public indignation over law enforcement’s failure to protect the victim on site.
While police authorities initially stated that no formal complaint had been lodged, legal action commenced swiftly once Zakia filed her case. Officers launched overnight raids across the municipality to apprehend the key suspects.
Law enforcement officials confirmed that the three arrested men are being produced before the court on Tuesday, while police drives continue to identify and detain the remaining suspects named in the case.
