Public anger has erupted in Barishal’s Wazirpur Upazila after a young man accused of attempted theft was tied to a wooden pole and subjected to an all-night ordeal at a local market. The incident, which unfolded at Bamrail Market on Friday night, came to light after a poignant video captured the suspect’s nine-year-old daughter weeping beside her captive father before feeding him tea and bread with her own hands.
The man in the video, identified as Anik Sardar, resides in the neighbouring village of Kalihati. According to local residents, night guards and shopkeepers detained Anik on Friday night after alleging that he attempted to break into a grocery store within the market precinct. Rather than turning the suspect over to local law enforcement, the crowd bound his hands and feet to a post in the middle of the market, holding him overnight and allegedly subjecting him to physical abuse.
By Saturday morning, news of the detention reached Anik’s family, prompting his nine-year-old daughter to rush to the market. Finding her father exhausted, visibly distressed, and deprived of food for hours, the child burst into tears. She then walked to a nearby tea stall, purchased a bun and a warm cup of tea, and returned to gently feed her father while a group of onlookers watched from a short distance.
The distressing scene, filmed by a bystander, quickly went viral on social media platforms, sparking severe public backlash. Netizens condemned the mob for taking the law into their own hands and torturing a suspect without due process, drawing attention to the psychological trauma inflicted on a young child forced to see her father tied up in public. Under Bangladeshi law, citizens have no authority to detain, bind, or assault suspects, as all criminal allegations must be handled strictly by law enforcement and the judiciary.
Officers from Wazirpur Police Station were dispatched to Bamrail Market on Saturday morning after being alerted to the situation. Police Inspector Farooq Hossain confirmed that an investigation team visited the site, though local residents had already untied and released Anik before officers arrived. Inspector Hossain stated that police are conducting enquiries to ascertain the facts surrounding the initial theft allegation and to identify the individuals responsible for tying up and assaulting the suspect, assuring that legal action will follow.
