Three young men have been arrested in connection with the alleged assault of woman entrepreneur Zakia Sultana in front of police officers at Rajbari’s Bara Bazar. The incident, which was reportedly captured on video and later circulated widely on social media, has sparked concern and prompted police to take legal action after the victim filed a case.
Rajbari Sadar police confirmed the arrests on Tuesday (1 September).
The arrested individuals have been identified as Abdullah Al Siam Khan, 19, son of the late Zamzam Khan of Dhunchi Ward No. 1 under Rajbari municipality; Rubel Hossain, 19, son of Md Delwar Hossain of Dhunchi 28 Colony in the same ward; and Helal Uddin, 38, son of Abdul Jalil of Dhunchi village in Ward No. 8.
According to police, Zakia Sultana filed the case at Rajbari Sadar Police Station on Monday night. Nine people have been named in the case, while another 50 to 60 unidentified individuals have also been accused.
The case stems from a dispute involving Zakia’s clothing business and a former employee. Zakia runs a business called Asha Poshak Shilpa Garments on the third floor of Qaderia Super Market in Rajbari’s Bara Bazar.
According to the allegations in the case, the former employee left the business after a disagreement over salary and the accounting of goods. On 23 August, the former employee allegedly arrived at Zakia’s establishment with between 15 and 20 people, demanded payment and threatened her.
The dispute reportedly escalated several days later. At around 11am on Saturday (29 August), tensions emerged between Zakia and clothing traders in Bara Bazar over the earlier disagreement. Zakia was accompanied by several women as she went to the market and demanded action over what she alleged was an attack on her business premises.
Police were present at the scene as the situation developed. Despite their presence, Zakia was allegedly assaulted. Footage of the incident was later shared on social media, where it quickly attracted widespread attention.
Following the incident, there was initially no case filed over the alleged assault. Zakia subsequently went to the police station and lodged a formal complaint on Monday night, after which officers began taking legal action against those accused.
Police said the three arrested suspects were due to be produced before a court on Tuesday. Investigators are also continuing efforts to locate and arrest the other accused individuals named in the case.
The incident has drawn attention not only because of the alleged assault but also because it reportedly occurred while police officers were present. The circumstances surrounding the confrontation, the original business dispute and the roles played by those present are now expected to form part of the investigation.
Authorities are expected to establish through the legal process who was directly involved in the alleged assault and whether others participated in or facilitated the incident. The investigation will also determine the circumstances that led a dispute over a private business matter to escalate into a public confrontation at one of Rajbari’s busy commercial areas.
