A video showing a woman bound to a pole and doused with water on a cold winter morning in Dhaka’s Gulshan–Nadda area has triggered public outrage and a police inquiry. The incident, which occurred on Friday, 2 January, near Morol Bazar and surfaced widely on Facebook on Saturday, depicts onlookers gathering as two men pour water over the woman; one person is seen filming.
Gulshan police said late Saturday they identified the location and moved to a nearby madrasa, where the incident allegedly took place. Five people—two teachers, identified locally as Lokman and Ekram, and three students—were taken into custody for questioning. Officers said the victim has not yet been located and her identity remains unknown.
According to accounts provided to police at the madrasa, two child students claimed they saw the woman reach into a teacher’s clothing in a fourth-floor room early Friday. Staff said they decided to “punish” her themselves rather than immediately hand her to authorities and later put her on a northbound bus. Police emphasized they are verifying those claims.
Gulshan Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md. Rakibul Hasan said officers acted as soon as the video came to their attention, adding that no case had yet been filed while efforts continue to find the victim. “We will consult with higher authorities on appropriate legal action,” he said.
Rights advocates condemned the vigilante treatment. Social media posts called for the perpetrators to be brought to justice, with commenters noting that taking the law into private hands undermines the justice system.
Police urged anyone with information about the woman to contact the station as the investigation—focused on unlawful restraint and assault—continues.