Arbitration in Rangpur
4 more held from High Court
Four Rangpur men were arrested yesterday after they appeared before the High Court on summons for their involvement in torturing two women at a village arbitration.
On June 26, Hafiza Begum Happy and Saheda Begum were severely beaten up by some villagers led by local Awami League and BNP leaders at Kashiganj of Baderganj upazila of Rangpur in the presence of Modhupur Union Parishad Chairman Aynal Haque.
The arbitration took place a day after Hashem Ali, husband of Happy, committed suicide at his father-in-law's house following an altercation between the couple over campaigning in the recently held UP election.
The arbitrators punished Happy on the grounds that her husband committed suicide, failing to endure the torment caused by her. And Happy's sister Saheda was accused of instigating the altercation and was also punished.
Following media reports on the incident of torture, the court on July 24 issued a suo moto rule asking the officer-in-charge of Baderganj Police Station and seven accused named in the reports to appear before it yesterday.
During the hearing on the suo moto rule yesterday, an HC bench directed OC Tobarok Ali Sarker to produce Happy and Saheda with due respect before it on August 7 for placing their statements.
The HC bench of Justice AHM Shamsuddin Chowdhury Manik and Justice Gobinda Chandra Tagore also ordered the OC to investigate the incident and arrest others involved.
Meanwhile, Mahmuda Begum, Baderganj upazila officer of woman affairs department, lodged a case accusing 17 villagers who reportedly led the arbitration.
The four arrested yesterday are Abdur Rouf Mondol, a local influential person of Kashiganj, Mozahed Ali, a retired school teacher, Ilias Ali, Modhupur Union Parishad member, and Sekandar Ali, assistant superintendent of a local madrasa. They appeared in the court as per its July 24 order.
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