Man behind women harassment in Cox’s Bazar detained

Detective Branch (DB) of police last night detained Mohammad Farokul Islam, the alleged ringleader behind the harassment and assaults on women at Cox’s Bazar sea beach and Lal Dighi areas.
Farokul was detained from his residence in Rumaliar Chara area, said Javed Mahmud, officer-in-charge (OC) of DB in Cox’s Bazar.
Further legal actions will follow, he added.
DB made the detention after several women were harassed and assaulted by a group of men in Cox’s Bazar on the night of September 11, with footage of the incidents circulating on social media.
In one video, Farokul, who was wielding a stick, and his associates were seen verbally abusing a woman at the beach and forcing her to do sit-ups while holding her ears.
In another incident, the same group approached a woman sitting on a beach chair late at night.
They questioned what she was doing so late at night and forced her to leave, despite her repeatedly saying, “I am just a tourist, what is my fault?”
A third video shows a woman begging policemen near a room at a restaurant at Sugandha Beach to help her retrieve her mobile phone, which had been taken by the group.
In another video, Farokul was seen repeatedly hitting a woman who was on a floor with sticks in a room as she begged him to stop.
Farokul’s Facebook was found deactivated yesterday evening, but it resurfaced later. Most of the videos were deleted.
But there were several posts where he gave justification for his actions, indicating the women they attacked were prostitutes and those criticising them are involved in the trade.
He claimed in another post that the administration is helping them.