A disturbing act of vigilantism in Bangladesh’s eastern district of Feni has ignited widespread public anger after a mother of four and a father of two were bound to an electricity pylon and subjected to sixteen hours of physical abuse over accusations of an extramarital relationship. The ordeal, which unfolded in Sonagazi municipality, finally ceased on Tuesday afternoon after local police intervened to rescue the victims from the hostile crowd.

The victims have been identified as Kamrun Nahar Ruma, wife of Nur Alam and resident of East Charganesh in Ward 8 of Sonagazi, and Ershadullah, from the Oli Majhi house near Bhuiyar Bazar in Parchandiya Union. Account details provided by law enforcement, local residents, and the victims reveal that Ershadullah had arrived at Ruma’s house late on Monday evening, maintaining that the visit was prompted purely by existing family relations between their households.

Trouble started at around 12:30 am on Tuesday when a group of neighbouring residents converged on the premises. Levelled with accusations of an illicit affair, the pair were dragged out into the open at the Halim Doctor Pool area in Ward 8. The gathering quickly turned violent as members of the mob assaulted the duo before tying them firmly to a concrete electricity pole in full view of the neighbourhood.

The ordeal persisted through the night and well into the following afternoon. Physical violence was accompanied by illegal extrajudicial demands, with key figures in the crowd issuing an arbitrary divorce decree (farman) against the woman, commanding her to sever her marriage with her husband on the spot.

Police officers were eventually informed of the escalating situation on Tuesday afternoon. A team dispatched from Sonagazi Model Police Station arrived at the location at approximately 4:30 pm, cut the victims free from the pylon, and took them to safety before ensuring they received required medical treatment.

Mohammad Abul Hashim, Officer-in-Charge of Sonagazi Model Police Station, verified the details of the incident and confirmed that an active investigation is under way to identify, locate, and arrest every individual involved in the vigilante action. Human rights advocates have forcefully condemned the torture, pointing out how extrajudicial community tribunals and informal mob rulings continue to undermine statutory legal protections, particularly across regional areas where illegal decrees usurp formal judicial authority. Police authorities have reiterated their commitment to pursuing strict criminal charges against all perpetrators involved in both the physical assault and the attempt to enforce an unlawful marital dissolution.