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SYLHET: A 16-year-old girl was allegedly beaten and dragged through a street in Sylhet with a heavy iron chain tied around her waist after being accused of attempting to steal from a shop, sparking widespread outrage after a video of the incident went viral on social media.
Police have arrested three people in connection with the incident.
The arrested individuals are Md Zakir Hossain, 43, and Md Mozakkir Hossain, 40, sons of late Jalal Uddin of Shahjalal Upashahar’s C Block, and Md Borhan Uddin, 45, son of Md Mujibur Rahman of the same area.
Police said officers of Shahporan Police Station reviewed the video footage, identified those allegedly involved and arrested the three during a raid in the Upashahar area on Tuesday night.
According to local residents and police, several businessmen detained the girl on Monday night on suspicion of attempting to steal from a shop’s cash box in the Mosque Market area of D Block, Upashahar.
Instead of handing her over to police, they allegedly slapped and beat her. At one point, a heavy iron chain was tied around her waist and she was dragged along a public road.
The video circulating on social media shows the girl crying and pleading to be released. A crowd of onlookers can be seen gathering around her, but no one appears to intervene to protect her.
Police went to the scene at around 11:30pm after receiving information and rescued the girl before taking her to the police station. She was later produced before a court under Section 89 of the Sylhet Metropolitan Police Act.
However, no written complaint was filed by the businessmen against the girl over the alleged theft.
Lawyers and human rights activists said an allegation of theft must be established through due legal process. Even if someone is suspected of committing an offence, no one has the right to take the law into their own hands, physically assault the person or publicly humiliate them by putting them in chains.
Supreme Court lawyer Hossain Ahmed Shipon said under Section 59 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, a private citizen may arrest a person suspected of committing an offence but must immediately hand the person over to police.
“No one has the right to take the law into their own hands, physically assault anyone or parade them in public in chains,” he said.
Human rights activist and lawyer Abdullah Al Helal condemned the incident, saying it was deeply disturbing and had brought shame on a civilised society.
“Even if an offence has been committed, there are established legal procedures. The public humiliation and abuse of a teenage girl in this manner cannot be accepted under any circumstances,” he said.
Shahporan Police Station Officer-in-Charge Ferdous Ahmed said police were not immediately aware that the girl had been chained and dragged through the streets.
“After the video came to our attention, we immediately identified and arrested those involved,” he said.
Sylhet Metropolitan Police Additional Deputy Commissioner (Media) Md Manzurul Alam said a case had been filed against the three arrested individuals.
Police are also investigating the involvement of others in the incident, including those accused of taking the law into their own hands and abusing the girl.