A woman and her teenage daughter were subjected to medieval-style torture for failing to clear their debt.
Moneylenders bound the woman and her young daughter to a tree and assaulted them. The tragic incident took place in Sirajpur under Kaliakair upazila of Gazipur on Thursday.
Informed, police rescued the woman and her daughter, said Kaliakair police station OC Monowar Hossain Chowdhury.
Following the incident, police recorded a case and arrested one Sabuj after finding evidence of his involvement during a preliminary investigation into the matter, he added.
The victim, Mumtaz Begum, filed a case with the Kaliakair police station against eight people.
Mumtaz said since the passing of her husband, she had been working at a local readymade garment factory to provide for her school-going daughter.
Recently, she was conned into borrowing money from one Gafur, a local driver, and Monir Hossain's family. As she was struggling to repay the loan with interest, Ibrahim Sikder, a member of the local union council, gave her a month’s time to return the money.
“However, before the time was up, they surrounded my house on Thursday and tied me and my young daughter to a tree and tortured us,” she added.
Denying the allegation of assault, the accused Abdul Gafur claimed that they were only pressuring the woman for the money and no one was physically hurt.
Fulbaria Union Council Member Ibrahim Sikder said after hearing about the incident he went to the spot. “I rescued them from there. The incident is tragic,” he said.