Five Arrested Following Brutal Vigilante Attack in Gulshan

In a shocking incident that has ignited a national debate on vigilante justice and human rights, police in Dhaka have arrested five individuals in connection with the torture of a homeless woman. The victim was reportedly tied to a lamp post and subjected to physical humiliation in the Gulshan area of the capital. The arrests were confirmed on Sunday by Mohammad Rakibul Hasan, the Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Gulshan Police Station, following the viral spread of a video documenting the assault.

The incident took place last Friday, at approximately 7:30 am, in the Norda neighbourhood of Gulshan, specifically in front of the Markazut Ta’leem Al Islami Madrasa. According to police reports and CCTV footage, a group of individuals apprehended the woman, who is described as a vagrant, on suspicion of attempted theft. Witnesses and footage revealed that the group proceeded to bind her securely to an electric pole before dousing her with water and subjecting her to public mockery and physical distress.

Police Intervention and Legal Action

Despite the severity of the assault, no formal complaint was lodged by any witnesses or the victim herself. However, recognizing the public outcry and the gravity of the crime, the Gulshan police initiated a suo motu investigation. By analysing CCTV footage from the surrounding area, investigators were able to identify and apprehend five suspects.

OC Rakibul Hasan disclosed that the detainees are students of the aforementioned madrasa. Notably, three of the five suspects are minors. "The authorities of the institution claimed the woman had entered the madrasa premises earlier that morning," the OC stated. "Under the pretext of a theft accusation, the suspects took the law into their own hands." The police are currently consulting with senior officials to determine the appropriate legal course for the underage detainees.

Summary of Incident and Police Action

The brutal nature of the video, which circulated widely on social media platforms over the weekend, has drawn sharp condemnation from human rights activists. Critics argue that even if a crime were suspected, the act of binding a vulnerable woman to a pole represents a primitive and illegal form of "street justice" that has no place in a modern legal system.