Two women in Pekua, Cox’s Bazar, have alleged that they were beaten inside the local police station before being sentenced to jail through a mobile court held on the premises. The incident occurred on Wednesday afternoon. Later that evening, Pekua Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Mahbubul Alam conducted the mobile court at the police station and sentenced both women to one month in jail. The two were subsequently sent to Cox’s Bazar District Jail.
The women, Rehena Mostafa (42) and her daughter Zubaida Begum (21), are residents of Pekua Upazila. According to family members, Zubaida had filed a case in 2024 under the Prevention of Land Crimes Act. After the investigation was assigned to Pekua Police Station Sub-Inspector Pallab Kumar Ghosh, the family alleged that the officer demanded money to provide a favorable report. They claim that after giving him 20,000 taka, the investigation report still went against them, leading to disputes between the family and the investigating officer.
Relatives allege that SI Pallab called the mother and daughter to the police station on Wednesday, where an argument took place over the report and the money. They claim the two women were then locked in a room and beaten by police officers before the mobile court was conducted. Family members later reported visible injuries on their bodies after meeting them at Cox’s Bazar District Jail.
Police have denied the assault allegations. SI Pallab Kumar Ghosh said the women behaved aggressively at the station, abused officers, and attempted to flee, prompting police to restrain them. The UNO stated that the women obstructed government work and assaulted police personnel, and that the mobile court sentenced them after reviewing the situation. Meanwhile, a lawyer involved in the original land case questioned the decision to hold a mobile court at the police station and called for clarification regarding the allegations of assault.
Source: Prothom Alo
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