Lakshmipur man apologises for forcing people to do sit-ups for eating during Ramadan
When asked by journalists, victims Munshurul Haque and Md Saju said that Aziz had punished them in the name of preserving Ramadan’s sanctity but since he apologised they would not pursue legal action
Lakshmipur Banik Samity's acting president Abdul Aziz has apologised to the victims he forced to do sit-ups in public for eating at a hotel during Ramadan.
Yesterday afternoon (12 March), Aziz, wielding a stick, made several individuals, including an elderly man who was not fasting, perform sit-ups on the street. The incident sparked outrage nationwide after videos of it went viral on social media.
Amid growing criticism, district police intervened, and at around 11:45pm, Aziz issued an apology in a video statement recorded at Sadar police station.
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In the video, he was seen holding two of the victims, Munshurul Haque and Md Saju, as he sought their forgiveness. However, the elderly man with red hair and a beard, who also appeared in the viral video, was not present in the footage.
"In an effort to uphold the sanctity of Ramadan, I questioned some individuals about why they were eating, as they were Muslims. They admitted they were not fasting. What I did was wrong – it was a crime. It was a matter of religious sentiment, but my actions were not justified. I sincerely apologise to them and promise never to repeat such an act," Aziz said in the video.
According to witnesses and locals, earlier that afternoon, Aziz had raided several curtain-covered eateries owned by Hindus in the Thana Road area of the town.
During his raid, he forced several non-fasting individuals, both young and elderly, out of the restaurants and onto the street, where he compelled them to do sit-ups.
The incident was captured in multiple videos that circulated widely on social media, drawing condemnation. It was also covered by national and international media, prompting police to detain Aziz later that night.
When asked by journalists, victims Munshurul Haque and Md Saju said that Aziz had punished them in the name of preserving Ramadan's sanctity but has since apologised. They added that they would not pursue legal action.
Regarding the matter, Lakshmipur Sadar model police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Abdul Monnaf told the media, "Aziz was brought to the station following the incident, along with two of the victims. Since no complaints were filed against him and he has apologised, he was released."
"We searched for the elderly victim with red hair and a beard but could not locate him. If he or any other victim comes forward with a complaint, we will take legal action," the OC added.
