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45 Ansar men sued on charge of torturing people

22 June 2009, 17:00 PM

NATIONAL

Our Correspondent, Satkhira

A torture victim yesterday filed a case against five Ansar members including an acting battalion commanding officer and 40 other unnamed Ansar men on charge of beating up local people including women and children. The accused are Nurul Afsar Chowdhury, acting commanding officer of 27 Ansar Battalion of Satkhira, Habildar Shah Jahan Mridha, sepoys Atiar Rahman, Asaduzzaman and Shah Jalal, and 40 others of the battalion. A group of Ansar members began to tease the local women when they were bathing in a pond near the Ansar battalion headquarters at Puratan Satkhira on Sunday noon, complainant Rafiqul Hasan, a resident of Puratan Satkhira in the town, said in the case filed with Sadar Police Station. As the locals tried to prevent the Ansar men from the offensive act, the latter became furious and attacked them. The Ansar men beat up the inmates of nearby houses, leaving at least 15 people including women and children injured, and vandalised a few houses, he said. As Rafiqul Hasan strongly protested Ansar men's inhuman activities, they took him to their headquarters and tortured him to serious injuries, he said. Later police rescued him. Despite repeated attempts, this correspondent failed to contact with acting Battalion Commanding Officer Nurul Afsar Chowdhury for his comment as his cell phone was switched off. On contact, Sadar Police Station Officer-in-Charge Kamruzzaman said lawful action will be taken against the perpetrators after investigation. Protesting the incident and demanding arrest and punishment to the responsible Ansar members, local people held a press conference in a restaurant in the town yesterday.