In Rajshahi’s Baya Bazar area, three women—including a medical student, a teenage girl, and an adult woman—were allegedly tortured inside a cold storage owned by former Zilla Parishad Chairman and Awami League leader Mohammad Ali Sarkar. The incident occurred on Tuesday morning and sparked widespread outrage among locals.
According to witnesses, the assault was carried out by Mohammad Ali Sarkar’s son, Ahsan Uddin Sarkar Ziko, along with his sisters Ankhi and Habiba. Locals surrounded the cold storage after hearing screams and confined the accused inside the building until law enforcement arrived. Police, assisted by the army, later detained the three suspects and brought them to Airport Police Station.
One of the survivors said she was summoned to the cold storage under false pretenses. “They called me in the morning, and I went there with my cousin and younger sister,” she recounted. “As soon as we entered the office, they pushed us inside, locked the door, and started torturing us.”
The three women were rescued by police and taken to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital. Doctors confirmed visible injury marks, particularly on the medical student’s body.
Airport Police Station Officer-in-Charge Faruk Hossain confirmed that a case has been filed against the three accused. “They have been arrested and will be sent to jail through the court,” he said.
The case has drawn strong reactions in Rajshahi, with residents condemning the involvement of politically influential individuals and demanding a transparent investigation and justice for the victims.
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