Video of chaining, dragging young woman goes viral in Sylhet, 3 arrested

A young woman, 20, was chained around the waist and dragged along the road in Shahjalal Upsahar area of Sylhet city on the allegation of attempted theft. A video of the incident that occurred on Monday night spread on Facebook from Tuesday night. Police have arrested three persons in this incident.

It was learnt that around 7pm on Monday, the young woman was detained by traders and some local people on the allegation of attempted theft at a shop in B-Block Mosque Market area of Shahjalal Upsahar. Later around 11pm she was chained and made to walk along the road.

A CCTV footage of the shop shows three women in burqa entering the shop. At that time a child present in the shop was showing them products. At one stage when two of them took the child towards the front of the shop, the other woman bent her head inside and pulled the cash box. However, it is not clear from the footage whether she was able to take money.

In the video that spread on Facebook, a chain and lock is seen tied around the waist of the young woman in burqa. One person in front is pulling her by holding the chain, while the young woman behind is trying to cover her face with hand and cloth while crying. At that time several persons with her were forbidding her to cry and saying that people would recognise her if she kept her face open.

Additional Deputy Commissioner (Media) of Sylhet Metropolitan Police Manzurul Alam said the young woman put her hand in the cash box of the shop but could not take money. When police went for the first time after getting the news, the locals said they would resolve the matter themselves, then police returned. Around 11pm when the traders phoned again, police went and took the young woman to the police station. However, no one filed any written complaint on the allegation of theft.

A trader of a neighbouring shop, on condition of anonymity, said, ‘All right she attempted theft, but the matter of chaining her and making her walk like this instead of handing her over to police was not good.’

Three arrested after video goes viral

After the video of the incident spread on Facebook, police arrested three persons. They are shop owner Jakir Hosen, 43, his brother Mozakkir Hosen, 40, and Borhan Uddin, 45, of the same area.

Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Shahparan police station Ferdous Ahmed told Prothom Alo that after the arrest police became the plaintiff and filed a case against them. The allegation stated that they detained the young woman, tortured and outraged her modesty and spread the video of the incident online. They have been sent to court today.

The OC further informed that after being released on bail as per the court’s order, the young woman has returned home. Her home is in South Surma upazila of Sylhet.