Police in Raipur upazila of Lakshmipur district have detained a local Krishak Dal leader following allegations that an expatriate couple were held captive, physically assaulted and robbed while visiting a friend’s residence.
The suspect, identified as Riyad Hasan Boyati, was detained on Tuesday afternoon (20 October) in the Denayetpur area of Raipur Bazar. He is an aspirant for the presidency of the Raipur municipal unit of Krishak Dal and a former joint convener of the Chhatra Dal unit at Raipur Government College.
According to police and the complaint filed by the victims, Riyad allegedly led a group involved in the assault on expatriate Sabuj and his wife, Mili Akter. The incident reportedly occurred on Friday afternoon at a ground-floor flat in a building owned by Faruk Ahmed on Mirganj Road, within Ward No. 7 of Raipur municipality.
The couple had visited the residence after receiving an invitation to a birthday celebration.
According to the case statement, Sathi Akter, a friend of Mili, lives in the rented flat where the incident took place. She had organised a gathering to celebrate her daughter’s birthday and invited Mili and her husband to attend.
The couple arrived at the residence expecting to participate in the family occasion. However, the gathering allegedly took a violent turn when a group of individuals suddenly entered the flat and began behaving aggressively towards Mili.
The complainant alleged that the intruders subsequently took approximately one bhori and two annas of gold jewellery belonging to Sathi.
When Mili attempted to intervene and prevent the alleged robbery, the suspects reportedly assaulted her repeatedly, leaving her bleeding from her injuries.
The situation escalated when the group allegedly confined the expatriate couple and forcibly took Tk 25,000 in cash along with a bank card.
The complaint also describes an incident in which the suspects questioned the couple’s marital relationship and accused them of being involved in an illicit affair.
According to the allegations, the attackers took Sabuj and Mili into a separate room and recorded a video of them while making the accusations.
Sabuj reportedly attempted to establish that they were legally married by showing photographs from their wedding. Despite being presented with the photographs, the suspects allegedly continued threatening and intimidating the couple before eventually leaving the premises.
Following the incident, Sabuj lodged a formal complaint with Raipur Police Station the next day. The case named five individuals as accused and included six additional unidentified suspects, bringing the total number of people implicated to 11.
The allegations encompass several aspects of the incident, including the reported confinement of the couple, physical violence, the removal of jewellery and cash, and the recording of a video while their marital relationship was being challenged.
Police subsequently began investigating the allegations, leading to Riyad’s detention on Tuesday afternoon.
Sub-Inspector Nurul Islam of Raipur Police Station, who is investigating the case, confirmed that Riyad had been detained in connection with the incident.
“One person named Riyad has been detained. He was involved in the incident. He will be produced before the court,” the investigating officer said.
Police have not provided further details about whether the remaining suspects have been apprehended or whether any of the allegedly stolen valuables, cash or bank card have been recovered.
The incident has also brought attention to the political background of the detained suspect, given his previous involvement with Chhatra Dal and his candidacy for a leadership position in the local Krishak Dal organisation.
However, the allegations against Riyad and the other individuals named in the complaint remain subject to investigation and judicial proceedings.
The case now centres on establishing the circumstances surrounding the reported attack, identifying the roles of those allegedly involved and determining the evidence supporting the complainant’s account.
Further developments will depend on the police investigation and subsequent proceedings before the court.
