Farmer Humiliated and Assaulted Inside Local Political Office

A farmer from Monpura in Bhola has accused a local Union Parishad member and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader, Zakir Hossain Dulal, of orchestrating a violent assault that culminated in his head being forcibly shaved. The victim, Alauddin, detailed the harrowing ordeal during a press conference held at the Monpura Reporters’ Unit on Tuesday afternoon. The incident occurred on Saturday morning at the local BNP office in Banglabazar, located within the North Sakuchia Union.

According to the victim’s testimony, the incident stems from an underlying land dispute. Alauddin stated that two individuals, identified as Farid and Kalam, had previously demanded a bribe of 50,000 taka from him regarding a property matter. Although senior upazila BNP leaders had initially intervened to resolve the land dispute, the situation escalated dramatically on Saturday. Under the guise of a fabricated moral allegation, Dulal allegedly deployed a village watchman (Choukidar) to abduct Alauddin and bring him forcibly to the party office.

Once inside the premises, the farmer was subjected to severe physical assault. The perpetrators then forcibly shaved his head before parading him through the local markets to maximise his public humiliation. The trauma of the event was captured on video and subsequently circulated on social media, sparking widespread outrage and mixed reactions throughout the sub-district.

During the press conference, Alauddin broke down in tears, revealing that the injuries sustained from the beating left him bedridden, yet fear prevented him from seeking immediate medical assistance. He expressed profound distress over the social stigma, noting that he can no longer look his family in the eye, particularly his son who is a Hafiz-e-Quran. Out of sheer desperation, the farmer stated he felt suicidal and implored the authorities for justice.

When approached for comment, the accused UP member, Zakir Hossain Dulal, categorically denied the allegations, dismissing them as a politically motivated smear campaign designed to tarnish his reputation.

Legal and political figures have condemned the act. Advocate Rahat, a practitioner at the Monpura Senior Judicial Magistrate Court, emphasised that no individual is authorised to take the law into their own hands, describing the public shaming as a severe breach of human rights. Senior leaders of the Monpura Upazila BNP, including Vice President Dr Kamal Uddin and Acting General Secretary Mofizur Rahman Milan Matabbor, labelled the misuse of the party office as deplorable and demanded strict punishment for those responsible.

Mazharul Islam, the Officer-in-Charge of Monpura Police Station, stated that law enforcement had become aware of the matter through media enquiries. He assured that a formal investigation would be launched immediately upon receiving a written complaint from the victim.