A brutal vigilantism incident in Bangladesh’s eastern district of Feni has triggered widespread outrage after a mother of four and a father of two were tied to an electricity pylon and subjected to sixteen hours of physical abuse over an alleged extramarital relationship. The ordeal, which took place in Sonagazi municipality, only came to an end on Tuesday afternoon when local police intervened to rescue the victims.

The victims were identified as Kamrun Nahar Ruma, wife of Nur Alam from the East Charganesh area in Ward 8 of Sonagazi municipality, and Ershadullah, a resident of the Oli Majhi house near Bhuiyar Bazar in the Parchandiya Union. According to police officers, local residents, and the victims themselves, Ershadullah had visited Ruma’s residence late on Monday evening, citing family ties between the two households.

At approximately 12:30 am on Tuesday, a group of local residents descended upon the house. Accusing the pair of engaging in an illicit relationship, the mob dragged them outside to the Halim Doctor Pool area in Ward 8. The crowd proceeded to physically assault the duo before binding them securely to a concrete electricity pole.

The torture continued unabated throughout the night and into the following afternoon. Beyond the physical violence, members of the crowd attempted to exercise illegal extrajudicial authority by forcing an arbitrary divorce decree (farman) upon the woman, ordering her to dissolve her marriage with her husband immediately.

Law enforcement was eventually alerted to the situation on Tuesday afternoon. A team from Sonagazi Model Police Station arrived at the scene at around 4:30 pm, severed the bindings, and brought both victims to safety before arranging for necessary medical attention.

Mohammad Abul Hashim, Officer-in-Charge of Sonagazi Model Police Station, confirmed the occurrence of the incident and stated that an investigation is currently underway to identify and apprehend those responsible for taking the law into their own hands. Local rights activists have strongly condemned the torture, highlighting the persistent threat posed by unlawful community tribunals and mob violence in rural regions, where arbitrary decrees often bypass the formal judicial system. Police assured that stern legal action will be taken against the perpetrators involved in the physical assault and the illegal enforcement of marriage dissolution.