Police have taken two employees of Apon Coffee House into custody after a video showing a young woman being beaten with a stick in front of its outlet in the Taltala area of Khilgaon, Dhaka, went viral on Facebook.
Rampura police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Ataur Rahman Akand said the two staff members were detained at around 3pm on Monday, reports bdnews24.
In the video that spread across Facebook, a staff member is seen trying to forcibly push the woman away from the coffee shop.
Moments later, another employee strikes her twice on the legs with a stick.
The video drew widespread criticism online, with many demanding punishment for those involved.
“The incident took place on Friday. After the video spread online today (Monday), we detained the café’s manager Alamin and employee Shuvo. In the video, the person seen beating the young woman with a stick is Shuvo,” said the OC.
However, police have yet to locate the victim.
“We are trying to trace the young woman through various channels. If she or her guardian cannot be found, police will file a case as the plaintiff,” the OC added.
During preliminary questioning, the two detainees claimed they were irritated by the woman’s behaviour, which allegedly led to the incident.
“They said the girl has mental health issues and was causing a disturbance that day. She kept trying to enter the café even after being told not to, which is why they reacted that way,” said the officer.