A pregnant woman was allegedly beaten and physically tortured by an NGO's workers in Kalapara upazila of Patuakhali after she failed to repay instalments of a small loan.
The incident took place around 12 noon on Saturday at the woman’s house in Gandamari village under Dhankhali union of the upazila.
The victim, Khairun Begum, wife of expatriate Nazir Molla, was reportedly grabbed by the hair, punched, and kicked in the lower abdomen, causing her to fall ill.
She was later rescued and admitted to Kalapara Hospital and is now undergoing treatment in the maternity ward.
Speaking from her hospital bed, Khairun Begum said her husband had taken a Tk 40,000 loan from the Community Development Center (CODEC), an NGO in December last year and left for Kuwait, leaving behind their three children and her, pregnant with their fourth child, in financial hardship.
She said her husband has been unable to send money due to the ongoing war in the region, and so she has been struggling to support the family.
She alleged that CODEC staff had been visiting their home weekly to collect instalments. Despite hardship, she managed to pay two instalments.
On Saturday afternoon, Dhankhali branch manager Monir Hossain and three others allegedly visited her home again to collect dues. At that time, two female staff members pressured her to pay the outstanding instalments.
Khairun Begum said she requested time, explaining that she would pay once money was sent from abroad. She further alleged that when she mentioned her illness, the NGO workers verbally abused her.
At one stage, she claimed, the branch manager attempted to drag her out by grabbing her hair. When she held onto the door, she was kicked and fell to the ground. She also alleged that the female staff members slapped her repeatedly, after which she became unwell and started vomiting. The NGO workers then left the house.
Local reserved seat UP member Mala Begum said she was attending a mediation meeting when she was informed about the incident. She said she immediately rescued the woman and took her to the hospital, adding that attacking a pregnant woman is unacceptable.
Kalapara Hospital Resident Medical Officer Dr Bobby Malkar said the woman was hit in the abdomen and underwent an ultrasound. He confirmed that the four-month-old foetus is currently fine, but the patient has been kept under observation for 24 hours due to lower abdominal injury.
However, CODEC Dhankhali branch manager Monir Hossain denied the allegations, saying, “We only asked her to come to the office. She was not beaten. She has been in arrears for many days.”
Md Nazrul Islam, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Kalapara Police Station, said police had not been officially informed about the incident. “If this has happened, it is a sad incident. Legal action will be taken if a complaint is received,” he said.