Attack, looting and sexual assault alleged at Sreemangal resort
Sreemangal Correspondent :
Allegations have emerged of an attack, vandalism, looting and sexual harassment and eviction of a resort owner and staff at a resort in Sreemangal, Moulvibazar.
At a press conference held on Saturday, the allegations were made by the resort’s female entrepreneur, Mosammat Laboni Yasmin, a resident of Mohakhali, Dhaka.
Laboni Yasmin stated that in September 2024, she and her husband leased 86 decimals of land in the Mohajirabad area of Sreemangal from local Awami League leader Yusuf Kha for Tk 30 lakh to operate a resort business.
A 20-year lease agreement was signed, with a condition that lease payments would be made every five years. They later invested around Tk 60 lakh to build a resort named “Arannyobash Eco Resort” and began operating it by renting it out to tourists.
She said that under the third instalment of Tk 10 lakh, Tk 6.5 lakh including a fine was paid two months after the scheduled time through local intermediaries. However, when they attempted to pay the remaining Tk 4 lakh, the landowner allegedly refused to accept the money, citing a breach of contract, and began pressuring them to vacate the resort.
On 26 November, Yusuf Kha, along with Rajesh, Mamun and others, reportedly went to the resort and demanded that it be vacated. When the demand was refused, they allegedly carried out an attack, vandalised the property, assaulted Laboni Yasmin and her husband, and forcibly evicted them from the resort.
After a complaint was filed with Sreemangal Police Station, police assistance reportedly helped them regain possession of the resort.
She further said that later, when they tried to pay the instalment through the then Officer-in-Charge (OC) Aminul Islam and the General Secretary of the local Business Association, Kamla Hossain, Yusuf Kha again refused to accept the money and insisted that the resort be vacated.
On Saturday, 24 January, police allegedly called her husband, co-partner Kamruzzaman, to the police station and later showed him as arrested before sending him to the Moulvibazar court, which remanded him to jail custody.
Laboni Yasmin said she later learned that the landowner had filed a case against both of them. They were released on bail the following day.
Laboni further alleged that on 29 January at around 8:30 am, Yusuf Kha returned with 28-30 people and again attacked the resort, causing damage estimated at Tk 30 lakh. “They grabbed my clothes, dragged me to the ground, kicked and punched me in the stomach and other sensitive parts of my body, sexually harassed me, and severely beat a resort staff member named Siam,” she said.
She also claimed that the attackers looted Tk 5 lakh in cash and important documents from the resort. “They threatened to kill us and forcibly drove us out of the resort,” she added. She said they called the national emergency number 999 for help and, following police instructions, received treatment at the local health complex before going to the police station to file a complaint.
However, she alleged that the police have yet to officially record the complaint and have been delaying the process. She also claimed that police have not visited the scene.
Laboni questioned the “mysterious role” of Sreemangal Police Station, alleging that while they failed to provide her legal support, they acted with unusual speed on the opposing party’s complaint and sent her husband to jail.
In a tearful voice, she said that after losing an investment of nearly Tk 60 lakh in the resort, they have been wandering for three days in the same clothes seeking justice. She also claimed that despite seeking help from the ASP (Circle), the Superintendent of Police (SP), and the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO), they have not received any assistance.
When contacted, Sreemangal Police Station OC Sheikh Zahirul Islam Munna said, “Legal action is being taken regarding the assault. Issues related to resort ownership and court matters will be decided by the court.”