Schoolgirl, youth tied to tree and tortured; girl attempts suicide after video goes viral

A schoolgirl and a young man were publicly tied to a tree and subjected to physical and mental torture in Kashiani upazila, Gopalganj. After a video of the incident went viral on social media, the girl reportedly attempted suicide by consuming poison, unable to bear the humiliation, according to locals.

The incident took place on Tuesday (July 28) afternoon at the Rahuthar Udayan Bidyapith High School premises in Hatiara Union of the upazila.

The victim is an eighth-grade student of Rahuthar Udayan Bidyapith. The other victim is a young man from Rahuthar village in the upazila.

According to local sources and the viral video, the schoolgirl was brought from the Rahuthar bridge area and the young man from his home to the school during school hours. Both were tied to a deodar tree in the school courtyard with towels. They were physically and mentally abused in front of teachers, students and locals. Several individuals recorded the incident, and the video later spread widely on social media.

The incident has implicated Nayan Goldar, former general secretary of Hatiara Union BNP; Joy Shikdar; Mission Roy; and several others, according to reports.

Locals claim that after the video went viral, the schoolgirl attempted suicide by consuming poison, unable to cope with the humiliation. She was initially admitted to a local health centre and later transferred to Gopalganj 250-bed General Hospital as her condition deteriorated.

Regarding the allegations, Nayan Goldar said that the two were caught in an objectionable situation and were being taken by local youths. He claimed they took them to the school and handed them over to their guardians, but denied knowledge of any torture involving tying them to a tree.

The school's headmaster, Indrajit Sarkar, said he was not present at the school on the day of the incident. He said necessary action would be taken after discussing the matter with the school management committee president.

Kashiani Police Station Officer-in-Charge Muhammad Mahfuzur Rahman said no written complaint has been filed so far. Legal action will be taken upon receiving a complaint.