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, Gaibandha.

The arrested Rafiqul Islam is 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, on Wednesday morning at around 8 am.

Philomina Hansda’s son, British Soren, said that on Friday at around 10 am, 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’s associates set their house on fire.

Read: Santal houses set on fire by UP chairman in Gaibandha

The next day, Philomina Hansda’s 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, “The prime accused, Rafiqul Islam, was arrested from a hotel in Dhaka. He will be taken back to Gaibandha to complete the legal process.”