The arrested are businessman Farhad Ahmed Chowdhury, 42; college student Anisur Rahman Ifat, 19; and 16-year-old school dropout Mohammad Salman
TBS Report
25 September, 2024, 08:05 pm
Last modified: 25 September, 2024, 09:08 pm
Police arrested three individuals in Chattogram on Wednesday (25 September) after a video depicting a man tied to a traffic post and beaten to death went viral on social media.
The arrested are businessman Farhad Ahmed Chowdhury, 42; college student Anisur Rahman Ifat, 19; and 16-year-old school dropout Mohammad Salman. Several other suspects have also been identified in connection with the killing.
The video, which shows a group of youths singing a local song while attacking the victim, has sparked widespread outrage.
The victim, Mohammad Shahadat Hossain, 24, was beaten to death by members of a WhatsApp group titled “Chattogram Chhatra Janata Traffic Group” on 13 August, as he was suspected of being a snatcher in the city’s Gate No. 2 area.
At a press briefing today, Additional Deputy Commissioner Kazi Md Tareq Aziz (PR) confirmed that police initially arrested the group’s admin, Farhad Ahmed Chowdhury, a sand dealer by profession, in the Gate No. 2 area in the port city Wednesday afternoon.
Based on the information obtained from him, police subsequently apprehended Mohammad Salman in the Shilpakala area on MM Ali Road and Anisur Rahman Ifat near Masjid Goli, also in the Gate No. 2 area, later that same day.
“Shahadat had a criminal record, with six cases against him for theft, preparation for robbery, and possession of weapons,” the police commissioner added.
Shahadat’s body was found at Prabartak Intersection in the port city on 14 August. The following day, his father filed a murder case with Panchlaish Police Station.
Police later traced the involvement of the group after the video of the crime circulated on social media.
During interrogation, the three arrested individuals confessed to attacking Shahadat on suspicion of robbery. When Shahadat lost consciousness during the beating, they attempted to take him to Chittagong Medical College hospital; however, they abandoned him near Prabartak, where his body was eventually found.
Police say up to 20 people may have been involved in the killing, with Farhad Ahmed Chowdhury believed to have orchestrated the attack. The group had no official role in traffic management, and police have characterised the incident as “mob justice.”
