A Pregnant Woman Allegedly Beaten by NGO Workers in Patuakhali
Patuakhali, April 26 — A shocking incident has come to light in Kalapara upazila of Patuakhali, where a pregnant woman was allegedly subjected to physical abuse and torture by workers of an NGO after she failed to repay instalments of a small loan. The incident reportedly occurred at the victim’s home in Gandamari village under Dhankhali union on Saturday around 12 noon.
The victim, Khairun Begum, is the wife of expatriate Nazir Molla. According to her account, she was grabbed by the hair, punched, and kicked in the lower abdomen by the NGO workers, which caused her to fall ill. She was later rescued and admitted to Kalapara Hospital, where she is currently undergoing treatment in the maternity ward.
Khairun Begum shared her story from her hospital bed, explaining that her husband had taken a Tk 40,000 loan from the Community Development Center (CODEC), an NGO, in December last year before leaving for Kuwait. This left her and their three children, along with her fourth child who was then pregnant, in financial hardship. She said her husband has been unable to send money due to the ongoing war in the region, and she has been struggling to support the family.
She alleged that CODEC staff had been visiting their home weekly to collect instalments. Despite the difficult circumstances, she managed to pay two instalments. However, on Saturday afternoon, Dhankhali branch manager Monir Hossain and three others visited her home again to collect the outstanding amount.
According to Khairun Begum, two female staff members pressured her to pay the instalments. She requested more time, explaining that she would pay once money was sent from abroad. She also mentioned her illness, but the NGO workers verbally abused her. At one point, 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. The female staff members then slapped her repeatedly, leading to her becoming unwell and starting to vomit. The NGO workers then left the house.
Local reserved seat UP member Mala Begum, who was attending a mediation meeting, said she was informed about the incident and immediately rescued the woman, taking her to the hospital. She emphasized that attacking a pregnant woman is unacceptable.
Dr Bobby Malkar, the Resident Medical Officer at Kalapara Hospital, confirmed that the woman was hit in the abdomen and underwent an ultrasound. He stated 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, stating, “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.
