A 16-year-old schoolboy was attacked in Dhaka’s Lalmatia area for wearing football shorts in public—an incident that exposes the growing culture of moral policing and everyday violence shaping public life in Bangladesh. The boy, a ninth-grade student at an English-medium school, was returning from football practice and coaching classes when two young men stopped him, questioned his clothing, verbally abused him, and physically assaulted him.
According to the boy’s family, the attackers demanded to know why he was wearing shorts and insisted that such clothing was “not allowed” in public spaces. Despite the boy explaining that he had come directly from football practice, one attacker grabbed him by the collar, leaving marks on his neck. The boy managed to escape only after defending himself and drawing attention from other students nearby. The incident has left him traumatized.
The boy’s mother described the experience as deeply distressing, saying her son has since asked, “Is wearing shorts a crime?” Out of fear, she now sends pyjamas in his bag whenever he leaves for practice. His parents—long-time residents of Dhanmondi—say they have never witnessed such violence over clothing before and are now afraid for their child’s safety in public spaces.
This attack does not stand alone. Over the past year, Bangladesh has seen increasing harassment and violence tied to clothing, affecting women, workers, and now even teenage boys. Sociologist Professor Monirul Islam Khan warns that dominant groups are increasingly using force to impose personal and moral preferences, creating a dangerous democratic crisis. When freedom of dress becomes grounds for violence, public space itself becomes hostile—especially for young people.
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