Model and actress Snigdha Chowdhury, identified as Israt Jahan in her complaint, has accused Ashiyan Group Chairman Nazrul Islam Bhuiyan of holding her captive and assaulting her after she went to his Khilkhet office for a meeting over a brand ambassador deal.
Snigdha made the allegations at a briefing in her Banani home today and also filed a case with Khilkhet Police Station.
“She has filed a case. We are investigating,” said Officer-in-Charge of Khilkhet Police Station Sohrab Al Hossain.
According to the complaint, a man named Emon hired Snigdha on July 24 for Tk 16 lakh to work as a brand ambassador for Ashiyan Group. At around 8:00pm that day, she and her mother went to an Ashiyan Medical College office in the 300 Feet area to meet the group’s chairman. Her mother later returned home.
Snigdha alleged Ashiyan Group Chairman Nazrul accused her of misusing his money, mistook her for another woman, and repeatedly called her “Jeba Takia.” She claimed he pointed a shotgun at her, tied her hands and feet, strangled her, beat her with a wooden stick, dragged her by her hair, poured hot coffee on her face, and threatened to cut her with scissors. She said the assault continued for nearly two hours.
At one stage, she managed to loosen the bindings and later escaped around 11:30pm by jumping from a first-floor balcony. She said she received treatment at Kurmitola General Hospital on July 26 where she remained unconscious for a day.
In response, Ashiyan Group rejected the allegations as “fabricated, baseless and motivated,” claiming they were intended to damage the reputation of the company and its chairman.
In a statement, the group said the chairman had sought legal remedies, and the company trusted the judicial system. It called for an impartial investigation, proper verification of information, comments from all parties, and fairness in media reporting.
Meanwhile, Nazrul surrendered before Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Ariful Islam this afternoon and petitioned for bail. The court granted him bail until the submission of the police report.
