A video showing a young man brutally assaulting two women with a chair at the Bijoy Mela (Victory Fair) in Chattogram city circulated widely on social media on Thursday, December 18, prompting public concern. Police and eyewitnesses said the incident took place on Tuesday, December 16, at the fair held in the CRB Shirishtala area.
According to eyewitnesses, the three-day Bijoy Mela was organised by the Chattogram District Administration from Sunday to Tuesday to mark Victory Day. Large crowds gathered at the fair, where multiple temporary food stalls had been set up. Several altercations reportedly broke out at different stalls over the order of serving food.
In the 26-second video, a young man is seen striking two women with a plastic chair at a food stall located outside the main fair area. One woman falls to the ground, but the man continues to hit her. When another woman approaches, she is also assaulted. Two other men are seen fighting nearby in the footage.
Abu Said, in-charge of the CRB police outpost, said the two women later came to the outpost and made a verbal complaint, but left before police could take further action. “When police went to the spot later, no one was found there,” he said, adding that due to the large crowd, several fights occurred at different locations that day.
Asma Akter, central vice-president of the Bangladesh Women’s Liberation Centre, said the incident reflects growing concerns about women’s safety. “Beating two women so brutally is reprehensible. Since there is video evidence, police should investigate the matter and bring those responsible to justice,” she told Prothom Alo.
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