A schoolteacher in Kasba, Brahmanbaria, has accused a local political youth leader of attempting to abduct her in broad daylight by allegedly forcing her into a CNG-run auto-rickshaw.
The woman filed a written complaint with Kasba Police Station against Delwar Hossain Jinnah, 35, president of the Kasba West Union unit of the Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal. The incident allegedly took place on Monday afternoon, 28 September, in Akchhina village of Kasba West Union. Both the complainant and the accused are residents of the same village.
According to the complaint, the teacher was returning home after school when Delwar allegedly stopped her on the road and attempted to speak to her about a personal matter. When she refused to engage in the conversation, he allegedly produced a black pistol and threatened her before forcing her into a CNG auto-rickshaw.
The complaint further alleges that another unidentified man accompanying Delwar covered the teacher’s mouth and held a sharp knife to her throat, threatening to kill her. When the vehicle reached the Jora Bridge area of Kullabari, the teacher allegedly jumped from the moving auto-rickshaw in an attempt to escape.
Local residents reportedly heard her cries and came to her assistance. She was subsequently rescued, according to the complaint.
Delwar has denied the allegation of abduction. In a telephone conversation, he claimed that he had been in a relationship with the teacher for about a month and that disagreements had developed between them over various issues.
He said he had taken her for a ride in a CNG auto-rickshaw to help calm her anger. Delwar described the allegation of abduction as completely false and fabricated, and claimed that it had been made to damage his political reputation.
The teacher, however, rejected his account. She said the claim that they had been in a relationship was false and without basis. According to her, Delwar stopped her while she was on her way home and wanted to talk. After she refused, he allegedly held a pistol against her and forced her into the vehicle.
She also said that she and her family were now concerned for their safety, fearing that the accused might cause them harm. She called for a proper investigation and justice in the case.
The allegation has also drawn concern within the school community. Khondkar Omar Faruk, chairman of the school’s governing body, said a complaint had already been lodged with the police. He added that the school committee would discuss the matter with local residents and take necessary legal steps.
Kasba Police Station officer-in-charge Ali Mohammad Rashed said the police had received the complaint and were investigating the allegations. Necessary legal action would be taken based on the findings of the investigation, he said.
The case currently involves sharply conflicting accounts. The teacher has alleged that she was forcibly taken away after being threatened with a firearm and a knife, while Delwar maintains that she willingly accompanied him and that no abduction attempt took place.
The police investigation is therefore expected to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident, including what happened on the road after the teacher left school, whether she was taken into the vehicle against her will, the identity and role of the unidentified man mentioned in the complaint, and whether any weapon was used.
Until the investigation is completed, the allegations remain contested. The complaint, the accused’s statement and any evidence gathered by police will form part of the process through which the authorities determine what legal action is warranted.
