A schoolgirl and a young man were allegedly tied to a tree and subjected to physical and mental abuse in public at a school in Kashiani upazila, Gopalganj. After a video of the incident spread on Facebook, the girl’s family says she attempted to take her own life and is now in hospital.
A video of the abuse spread on Facebook on Friday night. According to accounts, the incident took place at midday on 28 July at a secondary school in the upazila. The victim is a 13-year-old eighth-grade student at the school, who is not being named.
Several local residents alleged that, three days after such an incident in the open at an educational institution, the school authorities had taken no action, creating anger among students, guardians and local people.
According to the video that spread and local sources, on 28 July the girl was called from outside the school and the young man from his home and taken to the school. Some claimed the two had been seen in an objectionable situation the previous day. They were then tied together to a tree in the school grounds with a cloth and abused physically and mentally in the presence of teachers, students and local people.
The girl attempted to take her own life amid the spread of the video, the humiliation and the mental distress, her family and local people said. She was first taken to a local sub-health centre and, as her condition worsened, doctors sent her to the 250-bed Gopalganj General Hospital, where she is now being treated.
Some of those present recorded video of the incident, which was later circulated on social media.
Several people, unnamed here, are alleged to have been involved. One of those named in the allegations denied tying the pair to the tree, saying that after they were found in an objectionable situation, some local youths were taking them across his property, and that he took them to the school and handed them to their guardians — but that he knew nothing about their being tied to the tree.
Head teacher Indrajit Sarkar, who said he was not at the school on the day of the incident, said he had heard of the matter. The chair of the school managing committee was also in Dhaka, he said, and necessary steps would be taken after discussion when the chair returned.
Kashiani police station officer-in-charge Muhammad Mahfuzur Rahman said no complaint had yet been received over the incident. If a complaint is received, it will be investigated and lawful action taken, he said.
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বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report