A horrifying act of violence against a woman in Polashbari, Gaibandha, has sparked outrage after a video of the incident went viral on Facebook. The footage shows the victim tied to a tree by her waist and wrists, visibly disheveled and in distress, pleading for help. Over the course of two and a half hours, she was beaten with bamboo and wooden sticks, her hair forcibly cut, her face smeared with paint, and a garland of shoes placed around her neck. She eventually lost consciousness from the prolonged abuse. The incident occurred on Sunday, July 27, and the woman was later rescued by Union Parishad member Assaduzaman Mojnu and taken to a hospital for treatment.
An on-site investigation on July 29 identified the perpetrators as local powerholder Yunus Mia and his associates. According to the survivor, she was returning home from her sister-in-law’s paternal house when Yunus Mia and his men attacked her, accusing her of adultery. They stormed her home, looted belongings, and caused significant property damage. She claims the assault is part of a broader effort by Yunus Mia to seize her land, and that this attack follows a pattern of ongoing harassment. The woman has since received threats warning her against filing a formal case, and she continues to face pressure from the perpetrators to remain silent.
Sub-Inspector Sabuzar Ali of the Harinabari Police Investigation Center under Polashbari Police Station confirmed that preliminary investigations support the woman’s account. She has been advised to file an official case. Attempts to contact Yunus Mia for comment were unsuccessful; instead, his associates reportedly harassed journalists on-site, photographing and filming them in an apparent act of intimidation.
Incidents like this reveal the entrenched culture of impunity that allows powerful perpetrators to evade justice. As long as institutions fail to protect survivors and hold aggressors accountable, public trust will continue to erode, further isolating victims while emboldening those who commit such inhumane acts of violence.
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