Youth who harassed girls on Cox’s Bazar beach detained

Police detained a youth named Mohammad Farokul Islam for beating and harassing two girls on Cox’s Bazar sea beach. Videos of Farokul, 23, punishing the girls by making them do sit-ups while holding their ears have gone viral on social media.

Detective branch (DB) police of Cox’s Bazar detained Farokul on Friday night near Bhola Babu petrol pump area. Police are trying to identify others involved with the harassment of the girls.

Detained Farokul is a madrasa student and son of Mazedul Islam from Chunati in Chattogram’s Lohagara. He has been living in the Baharchhara area in Cox’s Bazar for several years.

Police said Farokul was seen beating up the girls with sticks in the viral videos. He posted the pictures of a harassed girl on his Facebook on Thursday.

Analysing posts of Farokul, police found out that he along with many others harassed women on the Cox’s Bazar sea beach. Three videos of the incidents made rounds on social media.

District DB police’s officer in charge Jabed Mahmud said police identified Farokul from the videos and he has been interrogated after being detained last night.

Police also claim that those harassed are people of third gender (hijra).

Abul Kalam, assistant police superintendent of Cox’s Bazar said, ‘Some people from third gender often come to the beach which irritates others. We ask them to leave. No policemen were around when the hijra was being beaten up. Police went to the spot after being informed.’

However, Cox’s Bazar Nagorik Andolon’s member secretary HM Nazrul Islam said it cannot be confirmed if those attacked were third gender people. Also, it is the duty of the police to ensure safety of them if they were from the third gender community.

He also said the incidents will cast a negative impression on the tourism sector.

Local traders said detained Farokul had been identifying himself as ‘coordinator’ of Student Against Discrimination, the student body that led the student-mass uprising that toppled Sheikh Hasina government, for several days and carrying out different activities in the sea beach area.

Farokul in a recent Facebook post wrote, ‘Will start against indecency again after office hours, Insha Allah.’ Earlier on Wednesday, a video footage was uploaded where floating sex workers were seen beaten up.

Around 12 noon yesterday, a person named Azam Khan uploaded three video footages writing, ‘Local coordinators are conducting Sharia policing in Cox’s Bazar sea beach. They are attacking with sticks any women who are alone or whose attire they don’t like. Cox’s Bazar is now Afghanistan.’

However, Student Against Discrimination’s coordinator in Cox’s Bazar district said detained Farokul is neither a coordinator nor leading figure of the movement. This youth might have joined the movement as people from all walks of life joined.

The student platform won’t take responsibility for wrongdoings of any individual, he added.