"They are village elders, but inhuman"

It was 9:00 pm., and a light drizzle had begun. At the sound of a knock on the door, Shapla Begum stepped out of her house, still shaken and gripped by fear. Her young son, Shakil, had been forcibly taken from her and subjected to brutal abuse. The horrifying cries and pleas of her seven-year-old still haunt her.

Shapla recalls, “That night, in his sleep, my boy kept mumbling—‘Please don’t beat me anymore. I didn’t steal anything.’”

But Shakil was not the only victim. Another child from the same village, nine-year-old Sami, also faced similar abuse. Both boys were severely beaten. Sami is the adopted son of Rana Mia.

The incident took place in the village of Laxmikola under Madla Union in Shahjahanpur Upazila of Bogura. Shakil is a third-grade student at Laxmikola Government Primary School, while Sami studies in fourth grade at the same school.

On the night of Thursday, May 29, a visit to Laxmikola village revealed firsthand accounts from the families of the two children.

Relatives stated that Sami and Shakil were beaten mercilessly—with punches, kicks, and slaps. The attack unfolded before their very eyes. Some villagers tried to intervene and protect the boys but were assaulted as well.

Three men from the same village—Azahar Rahman, Secretary of the mosque committee, his brother Anisar Mondal, and one Abdur Rahim Bulu—were identified as the perpetrators of the abuse.

The families mentioned that both boys were treated locally for their injuries.

Shapla said, “Those who beat my son are influential figures in the village. They are the elders here. If we go against them, we’ll be in danger. It’ll become impossible for us to continue living in this village.”

Why Were the Children Beaten?

On the afternoon of May 28, Sami secretly took some money from the donation box at the joint Jame Mosque located between the Doctorpara and Schoolpara neighborhoods in Laxmikola. Shakil was with him at the time but did not take any money. Though Shakil witnessed the act, he was not involved in the theft.

Once the news of the missing mosque money spread, Azahar, Anisar, and Bulu went to Shakil’s home that same evening, dragged him out, and began beating him. Even as his mother Shapla clung to him and pleaded for mercy, they forcefully took him away and continued the assault. At one point, the village elders demanded Tk 4,000 from Shapla. She agreed and returned with the money, hoping to get her son back. After the beating, Shakil was returned to her, although the elders ultimately did not take the money.

Sami, too, was beaten around the same time.

Sami’s adoptive mother, Sima Begum, confirmed that the boy had taken around Tk 800 from the mosque donation box, which he later returned.

Several villagers, who wished to remain anonymous, condemned the abuse, calling it inhumane. “The children could have died,” one said. “We tried our best to save them but failed. The attackers are not human—they are beasts.”

Some villagers who attempted to intervene were also beaten.

As of the filing of this report, the accused individuals could not be reached for comment.

However, Azahar and Anisar’s elder brother, Azizur Rahman Mondal—vice president of the Madla Union BNP—claimed the matter had been settled amicably.

When asked, local Union Parishad member Abdur Rahman admitted that the abuse took place. “No one has the right to try a child at the village level,” he said.

Upon learning of the abuse, Aminur Rahman, a child protection social worker from the Upazila Social Welfare Office, visited Laxmikola village on Thursday afternoon.

He confirmed, “Yes, the abuse happened. And it is also true that the money was taken from the mosque. But I wouldn't say the children were beaten too severely. Still, what the village elders did was wrong. Neither of the children’s families has lodged a formal complaint.”

He added, “We will revisit the village on May 30 to investigate further and take necessary action if needed.”