Viral video shows child slapped as father arrested at Geneva Camp; police deny involvement, launch inquiry
“The police did not slap the child. After the arrest of Rustam with yaba tablets, his daughter approached him while he was being taken to the station. Someone from the crowd hit her, and we are investigating to identify who that person was," says Jewel Rana, additional deputy commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (Tejgaon division).
A viral video showing a child being slapped while clinging to her arrested father at Geneva Camp in Dhaka's Mohammadpur has sparked widespread criticism on social media, prompting police to launch an investigation into the incident.
In response to the backlash, police, however, claimed that none of their officers were involved in the act and said they are looking into the matter seriously.
According to police, a man named Rustam was arrested in connection with alleged drug trading in the Geneva Camp area.
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The video shows that as officers were taking him into custody, his seven- or eight-year-old daughter ran up to him, hugged him tightly, and began to cry. Someone from the surrounding crowd is then seen slapping the child before she is pulled away from her father.
The video quickly spread on social media, with many condemning the act and questioning police conduct. Some users wrote that while police have the right to arrest suspects, "no one has the right to hit a child."
Others described the incident as "heartbreaking and unacceptable."
Asked about the incident, Jewel Rana, additional deputy commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (Tejgaon division), told The Business Standard that the video had come to their attention and that an internal inquiry was underway.
"The police did not slap the child," the officer said. "After the arrest of Rustam with yaba tablets, his daughter approached him while he was being taken to the station. Someone from the crowd hit her, and we are investigating to identify who that person was."
He also said Rustam was not only involved in drug trading but is also a named accused in the murder case of Zahid, a 20-year-old graphics designer, who was killed in a crude bomb explosion during a clash between two groups at Geneva Camp early Thursday.
The police official said they are taking the incident seriously and will take action once the person responsible for slapping the child is identified.
