Police have arrested a local BNP leader in Feni over the public humiliation of two women, who were allegedly forced to rub their noses on the ground as punishment for their sons’ suspected theft of pigeons.

The accused, Delwar Hossain Delu, president of the BNP’s Panchgachia union unit under Feni Sadar upazila and a former union parishad chairman, was detained early Thursday, said Feni Model Police Station’s officer-in-charge Mohammad Shamsuzzaman.

The arrest followed a case filed on Wednesday by one of the victims, Sajeda Begum, at the Feni Model Police Station.

The case names 13 people, including Delu and lists 10-12 unidentified individuals as accused.

According to the case statement, the incident occurred on the night of May 1 during a local arbitration at Madhyam Mathiara village in Panchgachia union, arranged over the alleged theft of pigeons belonging to one Jahangir.

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During the arbitration, Sajeda Begum and another woman, Johora Begum, were allegedly compelled to publicly touch their noses to the ground, a traditional form of humiliation, to atone for the supposed wrongdoing of their sons.

Delu, who reportedly presided over the arbitration, is accused of hitting Sajeda with a stick in a sensitive part of her body and threatening both women to carry out the act of penance.

A local court has also taken cognizance of the incident. Senior Judicial Magistrate Aparajita Das has directed Additional Superintendent of Police Md Saidur Rahman to investigate the matter and submit a report within 30 days.

OC Shamsuzzaman said necessary legal action is underway.