Arrest warrants issued against 2 in Patuakhali over dog beating deaths

A court has issued arrest warrants against two individuals in a case filed over the beating deaths of two dogs in Patuakhali Sadar upazila.

The case was filed on Sunday (July 26) by Upazila Livestock Officer Md Atiqur Rahman before the Patuakhali Senior Judicial Magistrate First Class Sadar Court. Judge Abu Bakar Siddique took cognisance of the case and ordered the arrest of the two accused.

The accused are Manju Hawlader (50) and Jahir Hawlader (45) of the South Badura Khejurtala bus stand area in Auliapur Union of Sadar upazila.

The case statement said that on July 23 around 11am, two stray dogs were tied to an electric pole in front of a shop in the Khejurtala bus stand area and beaten to death with thick wooden sticks. A video of the incident later went viral on social media, bringing the matter to the attention of the livestock department.

The video shows the two dogs struggling to survive before collapsing to the ground.

The complainant, Livestock Officer Md Atiqur Rahman, said after visiting the scene and verifying the incident, the case was filed under the Animal Welfare Act, 2019 and relevant sections of the Penal Code on charges of cruelty to animals.

Local shopkeeper Jahangir Pyada claimed he had been feeding the two dogs for nearly four years and regularly vaccinated them. The accused had claimed the dogs had bitten their ducks, but he said the dogs were at his home on the day of the incident.