Flower vendor 'beaten up' by magistrate in Meherpur

A senior judicial magistrate has allegedly beaten up a street flower vendor for not serving him instantly Tuesday afternoon.

The vendor Tutul Hossain has been undergoing treatment at Meherpur General Hospital.

Contacted, Senior Judicial Magistrate Sanaullah said, “It was a misunderstanding... It will be solved soon.” He also denied beating up Tutul.

Meanwhile, Meherpur Traders Association at a rally in the town yesterday demanded the magistrate be withdrawn in 24 hours.

Tutul alleged that Magistrate Sanaullah went to his shop around 5:00pm and asked him to make a bouquet of flower immediately. But Tutul told him to wait for a while as he was serving other customers.

Sanaullah then threatened Tutul with actions and revealed that he was a senior judicial magistrate, the flower vendor alleged.

Around 30 minutes later, Sub-Inspector Rafiqul Islam of Meherpur Police Station picked up Tutul and took him to the magistrate's office.

“The magistrate beat me up indiscriminately,” Tutul said, adding that the magistrate then locked him and threatened to send him to jail.

At one point, Tutul claimed, he called trade association leader Ariful Enam Bokul from his mobile and told him what happened.

Bokul, along with a group of local businessmen, then rescued Tutul from the magistrate's office and took him to Meherpur general hospital.

A medical officer at the hospital, requesting anonymity, said Tutul had bruises on his face, abdomen and legs.

Trade association leaders alleged that soon after they reached the hospital with Tutul, the magistrate rushed there with a police team and tried to pick up Tutul again but failed due to traders' resistance.

Contacted, Robiul Islam, officer-in-charge of Meherpur Police Station said police did what the magistrate had ordered and refused to comment about beating up of Tutul at the magistrate's office.

Addressing yesterday's rally, traders association leaders Ariful Enam Bokul, Amirul Islam Khokon, and Moniruzzaman Monir alleged that the magistrate had beaten up a barber, and poured hot water on a waiter at a restaurant earlier this year.

Asked, Sanaullah said the allegations were “exaggerated”.