Police have detained a 35-year-old man, Khalid Hasan, over the beating of a man on a footpath in Dhaka’s Dhanmondi area and forcing him to perform sit-ups while holding his ears. An assistant sub-inspector (ASI) of Dhanmondi Police Station, Abdul Hai, who was present at the scene, has also been withdrawn from the police station over alleged negligence of duty.

Khalid was detained near the Meena Bazar area of Dhanmondi at around 11:45 am on Wednesday (October 14).

Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Dhanmondi Police Station Muhammad Imdadul Islam Tayeb confirmed the matter. He said Khalid was detained over allegations that he beat Shaheed Abdullah Al Masud, also known as Masud Rana, 48, and forced him to perform sit-ups while holding his ears on Monday afternoon on Satmasjid Road, opposite the private Bangladesh Eye Hospital.

Khalid was later produced before the Special Metropolitan Magistrate Court under the Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s (DMP) Ramna Zone.

The OC said Shaheed Abdullah suffers from a mental health condition.

On Monday afternoon, Shaheed Abdullah was accused of sexually harassing a 23-year-old woman. Following the allegation, Khalid allegedly slapped and kicked him and forced him to perform sit-ups while holding his ears.

A video of the incident later spread across social media, triggering widespread discussion and criticism. Much of the criticism focused not only on the beating but also on the presence of police personnel at the scene and their apparent failure to take effective action.

Police said Khalid works as a graphic designer at a private organisation.

Asked about the action taken against police personnel present at the scene, OC Imdadul Islam said ASI Abdul Hai had been withdrawn from the police station. He was assigned to perform duty at the location. However, the OC said he had no information about the other two police personnel present there, as they belonged to the Public Order Management (POM) division.

In the 2-minute-and-12-second video circulating on social media, a young man can be seen verbally abusing the victim while expressing anger and frustration, slapping and kicking him. A crowd of bystanders gathers at the scene, with some watching while others record the incident on their mobile phones.

Parts of conversations among the bystanders can also be heard in the video. Several people are heard saying that the man had touched a woman and that the incident had occurred in a canteen.

At one point, a passerby approaches the victim and points to two police personnel present at the scene, suggesting that the man be handed over to them. The victim is then seen rising from a seated position. A passerby and the young man who was beating him take his mobile phone and question him about various matters.

The agitated young man is then heard saying, “What do you mean by sorry? Does everything end just by saying sorry?”

He subsequently repeats the allegation that the man had touched a woman and slaps him again.

The video shows two police personnel standing just a short distance away while the beating takes place on the footpath. Like other bystanders, they appear to be watching the incident.

The role of the police has since drawn questions and criticism from many social media users, particularly on Facebook.