A Union Parishad chairman has been arrested in a case involving the torture of a Santal woman and her house set on fire in Gobindaganj of Gaibandha.
The arrested Rafiqul Islam is the chairman of Rajahar Union Parishad and the victim is Philomina Hansda, a Santal woman from the Raja Birat village in Gobindaganj.
Nishat Angela, Gaibandha Superintendent of Police, said that police arrested Rafiqul from a hotel in Shahbagh, Dhaka, at about 8:00am on Wednesday.
Philomina Hansda鈥檚 son, British Soren, said that at about 10:00am on Friday, Rafiqul was putting soil on an ancestral land of the Santals near the village. When a few Santal youths attempted to stop him, Rafiqul assaulted them. When his mother tried to intervene, Rafiqul slapped her repeatedly.
He alleged that later that night, Rafiqul鈥檚 associates set their house on fire.
The next day, Philomina Hansda鈥檚 other son, Julius Soren, filed a case naming Rafiqul Islam, his brother, and four others, along with 20-25 unidentified individuals.
Following the incident, Gaibandha district BNP expelled Rafiqul Islam from all positions.
In a statement on Tuesday, 47 prominent citizens of the country demanded the punishment of those involved in the incident.
Bulbul Islam, officer-in-charge of Gobindaganj Police Station, said, 鈥淭he prime accused, Rafiqul Islam, was arrested from a hotel in Dhaka. He will be taken back to Gaibandha to complete the legal process.鈥�
