Jamaat leader assaulted over giving 'indecent proposal' to housewife,

A local Jamaat-e-Islami leader was allegedly assaulted by residents after being accused of making an indecent proposal to a housewife in Patuakhali's Bauphal upazila.

The incident took place around 8:30pm on Wednesday in Dashpara Union. The accused, Faruk Hossain Payeda, serves as the secretary of Ward No. 3 Jamaat-e-Islami in the union.

According to locals, Faruk was confronted and beaten after allegations surfaced that he had made an indecent proposal to a local housewife. As news of the incident spread, a large number of people gathered at the scene. He was later rescued and admitted to Bauphal Upazila Health Complex for treatment.

Faruk denied the allegations, claiming that four to five individuals, including Saidul and Parvez from Mridha Bari, assaulted him over a longstanding personal dispute. He also alleged that the attackers took Tk 50,000 in cash and his mobile phone.

"They could not catch me in any compromising situation. The allegation is completely false and is being spread to settle previous disputes," he said.

Meanwhile, the mother-in-law of the woman alleged that Faruk had been harassing her daughter-in-law for a long time. She claimed he repeatedly tried to lure the woman with financial offers and had developed a relationship with the family to gain access.

She further alleged that the matter had previously been addressed through a local arbitration, but Faruk continued making inappropriate advances toward her daughter-in-law.

Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Bauphal Police Station Sirajul Islam said police were sent to the scene after receiving reports of the assault.

"If a formal complaint is filed, the matter will be investigated and legal action will be taken accordingly," the OC said.