A disturbing video capturing a female business owner being repeatedly kicked whilst under police protection in Rajbari has sparked widespread public anger, laying bare a bitter commercial dispute in the district town. The violence erupted on Saturday morning outside Kaderia Market within the central textile bazaar, forcing law enforcement officers to intervene as longstanding friction between local shopkeepers and the entrepreneur reached boiling point.

Footage circulating online reveals a female police officer holding the victim by the arm, supported by two male colleagues. Without warning, a young man lunges forward and kicks the woman. Although a male officer pushes the attacker back, a second youth steps in to kick her again, followed almost immediately by a third individual delivering another blow right before the police escort.

The assault victim has been identified as Zakia Sultana, proprietor of a local garment business named Astha Poshak Shilpo. Local reports indicate that the day’s unrest began at around 11:30 am following a protest march organised by Zakia. A group of 40 to 50 women joined the demonstration, which set off from Panna Chattar, circled the town’s No. 1 Railway Gate, and proceeded to Kaderia Market. The marchers alleged that several market traders had made death threats against Zakia and demanded immediate intervention from authorities.

Matters escalated rapidly when Zakia announced a sit-in demonstration inside Kaderia Super Market. Incensed by the announcement, local shopholders and commercial staff staged a counter-protest and chased Zakia through the alleyways of the market. Police officers arrived shortly afterwards to extract her safely, but as they led her away through the crowd, several men broke past the officers to launch the physical attack.

At the heart of the feud lies a rift between Zakia and her former staff member, Shahana Parveen Vristi. Fellow traders claim Vristi resigned from Zakia’s establishment following internal disputes and opened her own garment shop within the same market complex. Business owners allege that Zakia took exception to her former employee establishing a competing trade and pressured Aziz Mondol, president of the clothes market committee, to close Vristi’s shop down. When Mondol refused, a heated altercation ensued, leading nearby traders to force Zakia away from the area—an act she later described as a physical assault and personal threat.

Providing background on the market’s dynamics, Zakir Hossain, former market committee general secretary and current Vice-President of the Rajbari Chamber of Commerce, noted that local traders had originally welcomed Zakia as a promising female entrepreneur. However, he claimed operational friction soon surfaced. Hossain alleged that Zakia routinely mistreated her staff, delayed wage payments, and subjected workers to physical and verbal abuse, adding that the market committee had previously penalised her 10,000 taka following a worker’s complaint. He noted that Vristi’s departure was tied to an unverified accounts discrepancy, after which shopkeepers submitted a joint complaint against Zakia at Rajbari Sadar Police Station.

Strongly refuting these claims, Zakia Sultana insisted that Vristi left the firm without settling outstanding accounts. She stated that after lodging a complaint with the convener of the Rajbari Bazar Kalyan Samity, local traders began making threats to shut down her premises. Zakia alleged that on 23 August, Vristi brought a group of 15 to 20 individuals to her shop to intimidate her. She maintained that Saturday’s rally was a peaceful effort to highlight systemic harassment, insisting that she was ambushed by a mob and assaulted under the eyes of the police. With her establishment shuttered after the clash, she expressed deep concern for her female staff, whose livelihoods now hang in the balance.

Uttam Kumar Ghosh, Officer-in-Charge of Rajbari Sadar Police Station, confirmed the timeline of events. He noted that following the morning clash, local shopkeepers closed their stores and marched to the police station demanding Zakia’s arrest. OC Ghosh stated that order has since been restored, adding that officers have interviewed both parties and initiated a formal enquiry to identify and prosecute those responsible for the assault.