Outcry grows after elderly fakir's hair shaved in public
The incident has sparked outrage among netizens and several human rights organisations
A disturbing video recently circulating on social media showed a group of men forcibly cutting off an elderly fakir's hair in public in the capital's Sadaraghat area.
Watch
In the video, circulated online, an elderly fakir can be seen walking down the street before three men in grey vests suddenly chase him, drag him aside, and sit him down, in a bid to target his long matted hair, traditionally associated with fakirs and bauls.
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Despite his desperate resistance and repeated pleas, crying "Allah, hope you see this", the group takes out a trimmer and start shaving his head, how it appears, against his will.
By the end of the ordeal, the old man collapses in tears, as seen in the video.
The men performing the act include Mufti Sohrab Hossain Ashrafi and Afsar, who run a Facebook page titled "Human Service Bangladesh." Mufti Sohrab dubs this activity a social service.
"Those who are helpless, who are left lying around, who cannot possibly keep themselves clean, we help to make them clean," Sohrab earlier told TBS.
"Sometimes people call us from different areas if someone there needs this kind of cleaning. In those cases we go and do it. At times it becomes a matter of force. We do all this with our own money," Sohrab added.
The incident has sparked outrage among citizens, with human rights activists voicing concern.
The video also triggered a heated debate online, with some netizens showing favour toward the act while others condemned it as a crime and a blatant violation of dignity and rights.
ASK condemn
In a statement today (25 September), expressing deep concern over the incident, the ASK termed the act "inhumane, illegal," and a clear violation of the Constitution and fundamental human rights.
The human rights organisation mentions that Article 31 guarantees every citizen the right to a dignified life under the law, Article 32 ensures the right to life and personal liberty, and Article 35 prohibits cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment.
ASK said, "Such incidents not only violate the victim's fundamental rights and personal liberty but also strike directly at human dignity, creating an environment of fear and insecurity in society."
The organisation called for the immediate identification and prosecution of those responsible, and urged the state to ensure no citizen suffers such humiliation again.
