Kaliganj UNO Publicly Slaps Youth at Petrol Pump

Shamima Akter Jahan, the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) of Kaliganj in Lalmonirhat, has sparked intense criticism after a video surfaced showing her publicly slapping a young Hindu man at a filling station. The incident occurred on Wednesday (April 22) afternoon at the Lubana Filling Station in Chaparhat Bazar, under the Chandrapur union, while the officer was reportedly monitoring fuel distribution.

The UNO, who previously made headlines on January 15 this year for rebuking an event organizer who addressed her as "Apu" (sister), is once again at the center of a social media firestorm.

According to witnesses and local sources, Golok Chandra Ray, an Assistant Professor at Chaparhat College, was unable to go to the pump himself due to physical illness. He sent his motorcycle and official fuel card with Nodi Chandra Ray, an employee of a local garage owned by Pradip Chandra Ray.

While Nodi was waiting in the queue, UNO Shamima Akter Jahan inspected his fuel card. Upon noticing that the photo on the card did not match Nodi’s face, she allegedly began slapping him without allowing for an explanation.

"I work at a garage. On my owner's instructions, I went to get fuel for an ill teacher using his card and money. The UNO slapped me several times without listening to anything. I committed no crime, yet I was publicly humiliated and assaulted. I want justice." — Nodi Chandra Ray, Victim

The incident led to an immediate outcry from other motorcyclists and locals present at the scene. Following the protest, the authorities verified the details and confirmed that the motorcycle and card did indeed belong to the ailing professor. Nodi was released with the motorcycle nearly an hour later.

Assistant Professor Golok Chandra Ray expressed his distress over the event, stating he never imagined an innocent person would be assaulted for helping him during his illness.

When approached by the media, UNO Shamima Akter Jahan denied the physical assault. "I only took the key to his motorcycle; I did not lay a hand on him. The key was later returned to his guardians," she claimed. However, she declined to comment further when informed that video footage showing her striking the young man had already gone viral.

The UNO's conduct has drawn comparisons to a leaked phone record from January, where she was heard telling an organizer, "I am not your 'Apu', for your kind information," a statement that drew widespread mockery and criticism regarding the behavior of public servants.

Lalmonirhat Deputy Commissioner Rashedul Haque Pradhan stated that the higher authorities have been informed of the incident, and necessary action will be taken following a thorough investigation.