Visually impaired youth tortured in Sylhet on theft suspicion

Mob beating

Sylhet, Dec 5 – A visually impaired young man was tied to a tree and tortured in Sylhet’s Companiganj upazila on Thursday after he was accused of theft.

The victim was Jalal Mia, 27, son of late Ali Akbar from South Burdeo village of the upazilla. He is blind in one eye.

After the incident, Jalal’s mother, Shiriya Begum, filed a case at Companiganj Police Station on Thursday evening, naming 12 people and accusing 50 to 60 others whose identities are unknown.

Police arrested a man named Arfan Miah, 43, on Thursday night for his suspected involvement.

According to the case statement and local sources, several people took Jalal from his home early Thursday, accusing him of theft.

They first tied his hands behind his back and beat him on a boat by the riverbank in South Burdeo village.

Later, they tied his hands to a tree in front of the house of a man named Yunus Ali and tortured him again.

Shiriya Begum rescued her son and took him to the upazila health complex.

A 58-second video shows Jalal hanging from a tree with his hands tied with rope.

He tries to touch the ground with his feet while screaming.

Several men holding sticks attempt to beat him, though a few bystanders try to stop them.

Ratan Sheikh, Officer-in-Charge of Companiganj Police Station, said, “The main accused had been arrested in the case. He was sent to court on Friday.” - UNB