Man Attacked, Car Vandalized in Dhaka’s Gulshan; Suspect Arrested After Social Media Uproar

A man was attacked and left bloodied, and his car was vandalized in Dhaka’s Gulshan area on Thursday, allegedly by a man named Jewel Rana (31). The incident gained attention after the victim’s social media post went viral, prompting police to intervene.

The victim, Mahbub Alam, recounted the ordeal in a Facebook post, describing how Jewel blocked his car, assaulted him, and later gathered a mob to damage his vehicle.

Mahbub Alam, who was driving from Gulshan-1 to Gulshan-2 on Thursday afternoon, said the trouble began when a pedestrian ignored a traffic signal and suddenly stepped onto the road. Mahbub hit the brakes and honked, narrowly avoiding an accident.

According to Mahbub, the pedestrian – later identified as Jewel Rana – reacted aggressively.

“He slapped the hood of my car and started shouting that Gulshan is ‘his area’ and that he can cross the road however he pleases,” Mahbub wrote on Facebook.

Jewel then allegedly stood in front of the car, blocking its movement. Sensing trouble, Mahbub stepped out and called a traffic sergeant for assistance. That’s when Jewel grabbed him by the collar, accused him of attempting to run him over, and threatened to “teach him a lesson.”

Three of Mahbub’s colleagues were inside the car. When one of them stepped out to explain the situation to the police, Jewel began hurling abuses at him.

Mahbub described how Jewel’s aggression intensified, at one point lying down in front of the car and even climbing onto the hood. Traffic police, seemingly helpless, urged Mahbub to leave the scene.

But the ordeal didn’t end there. When Mahbub’s vehicle reached the Gulshan-2 intersection, Jewel reappeared, sprinted toward the car, climbed onto the hood again, and screamed that Mahbub had tried to kill him.

“He accused me of fleeing from Gulshan-1 after trying to run him over,” Mahbub wrote.

Sensing imminent danger, Mahbub drove to the Diplomatic Security Division on Gulshan-2 Road 52. However, Jewel followed him there as well, gathering bystanders and inciting them.

“He and some others tried to force open my car doors. When they couldn’t, Jewel smashed my windshield with a brick,” Mahbub alleged.

With the situation spiraling out of control, Mahbub and his colleagues finally got out and confronted the crowd. Some bystanders, after hearing Mahbub’s side, suggested taking Jewel to the Gulshan Police Station.

At the police station, Jewel continued to act aggressively, Mahbub claimed. An inspector (operations) asked Mahbub to file a complaint and advised him to get a medical certificate as proof of his injuries.

However, when Mahbub returned from the hospital, Jewel was no longer at the police station. 

Frustrated, Mahbub met with the Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Gulshan Police Station. Upon seeing Jewel’s photo, a police officer recognized him as a known troublemaker.

“He’s a notorious drug addict and mugger from Gulshan-1. If we arrest him, we can catch his whole gang of 15-20 people,” the officer reportedly said.

The OC ordered a case to be filed, but Mahbub alleged that the inspector delayed the process, suggesting that lodging a case might backfire, as Jewel could file another case against Mahbub.

The situation took a turn when video of the incident surfaced on social media, triggering public outrage. As pressure mounted, police took action.

On Friday evening, Mahbub was called to the police station, and this time, his complaint was officially registered. Later, police confirmed that Jewel Rana had been arrested.