Eye witnesses said Shibir leader Zubayer beat the woman, the wife of businessman Nurul Islam and the mother of Chhatra Dal leader Shariful Islam Milon of Haji Ismail Road in Khulna. She was later rescued by local people.

According to eye witnesses, the incident occurred when Shahnaj went to Arambagh area under Sonadanga thana to rent an apartment in the three-storey building owned by Fakhrul Alam, a senior officer of the Khulna office of Bangladesh Shipping Corporation. Fakhrul Alam is also the father-in-law of Shibir leader Zubayer.

Tandra Islam, Zubayer's mother-in-law, reportedly became annoyed when Shahnaj knocked on the door. She later shouted at Shahnaj for disturbing her sound sleep, and the two ladies quarreled for some time. At one stage, Zubayer's mother-in-law assaulted Shahnaj.

Learning of the incident, Zubayer rushed from his house at Nirala to his father-in-law's house at Alambagh. He caught Shahnaj by her neck and tied her up to an electricity pole. He then beat her mercilessly, before shaving her hair and painting her face with black ink.

Leaving the scene on a motorcycle, Zubayer threatened the woman against informing the police. She is now undergoing medical treatment in the house of a close relative at Mujgunni under Khalishpur thana, where her condition is still critical.

As of 5:30pm yesterday, no one from the Khulna Metropolitan Police visited the victim or the scene of incident. The OC of Sonadanga Police Station, Abbasuddin, declined to comment on the incident and expressed his inability to accept a FIR in this connection without permission from higher authorities.

When contacted, Zubayer, who is also a shrimp trader, termed the allegations against him a design to disgrace his father, Shah Ruhul Quddus, a Member of Parliament from Khulna-6 constituency.

"The woman, Shahnaj, is being used politically with mala fide intent. I was not at all involved in any such incident on Thursday," Zubayer said, branding Shahnaj a thief.

When contacted, Chhatra Dal leader Shariful Islam Milon told this correspondent that the OC of Sonadanga Police Station also threatened him not to file any case accusing Zubayer and his mother-in-law.

Meanwhile, a three-member committee has been formed by the Khulna chapter of Human Rights Implementation Committee to probe the incident.