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Protests In Dhaka Over Video Of 13-Year-Old Being Lynched

Protests In Dhaka Over Video Of 13-Year-Old Being Lynched
Bangladeshi protesters carry a banner during a demonstration against the lynching of a 13-year-old boy in Dhaka on July 14, 2015. Outrage over the lynching of a 13-year-old boy mounted in Bangladesh July 14, 2015, with more protests over the murder which was captured on video, as one of the suspects confessed after being arrested in Saudi Arabia. Bangladeshi police have now arrested five people over the July 8 killing of Samiul Alam Rajon, who was tied to a pole and then subjected to a sickening assault in which he pleaded for his life. The 28-minute video of Samiul, which went viral after being posted on social media, has sparked an outpouring of anger, with petitions and demonstrations demanding the attackers face the death penalty. AFP PHOTO/ Munir uz ZAMAN (Photo credit should read MUNIR UZ ZAMAN/AFP/Getty Images)
MUNIR UZ ZAMAN via Getty Images
Bangladeshi protesters carry a banner during a demonstration against the lynching of a 13-year-old boy in Dhaka on July 14, 2015. Outrage over the lynching of a 13-year-old boy mounted in Bangladesh July 14, 2015, with more protests over the murder which was captured on video, as one of the suspects confessed after being arrested in Saudi Arabia. Bangladeshi police have now arrested five people over the July 8 killing of Samiul Alam Rajon, who was tied to a pole and then subjected to a sickening assault in which he pleaded for his life. The 28-minute video of Samiul, which went viral after being posted on social media, has sparked an outpouring of anger, with petitions and demonstrations demanding the attackers face the death penalty. AFP PHOTO/ Munir uz ZAMAN (Photo credit should read MUNIR UZ ZAMAN/AFP/Getty Images)

Angry protests are rocking Dhaka following the footage of a 13-year-old boy being beaten to death: the horrifying video that went viral shows a young vegetable vendor being tied to a pole, and repeatedly tortured with a metal rod by four men who are laughing in the video even as he is hit.

We are not publishing the disturbing clip.

The clip was shot by one of the men involved on the outskirts of Sylhet, in Kumargaon on July 8, and uploaded on his Facebook page. According to this report, the video shows the attackers ignoring the victim’s cries for help, or just a glass of water as they continue to berate and beat him, telling him instead to drink his own sweat.

Hundreds of people (including women and children) stormed the streets carrying posters of the young teenager (Samiul Alam Rajon) who was beaten apparently for trying to steal a rickshaw, demanding punishment. A report quoted local rights organisation Odhika saying that at least 903 people had been lynched in Bangladesh since January 2009 (the count went to 60 in the past six months).

Three suspects have already been taken into custody: one man (Kamrul Islam) was caught trying to flee to Saudi Arabia. Another, a 22-year-old called Muhith Alam, was chased and caught by locals who spotted the men trying to dump the child’s body. “We brought him to our custody for interrogation in line with the court order,” said Akhtar Hossain, officer in charge of the police station, according to another report.

CNN also reported that an autopsy at Sylhet Medical College revealed that Rajon died from severe head injuries, and his body bore 64 inflictions in all. His father Sheikh Azizur Rahman was quoted saying that he was scared for his life as the “killers were powerful”. He also admitted that Rajon had trouble with speaking and studying. Unable to support his son’s education, Rahman, who suffers from heart disease, sent his boy to work as a vendor. The family only came to know of their son’s death when they went to the police station to file a missing report.

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This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.