On Friday night, Cox`s Bazar police detained Farukul Islam, who is accused of harassing and assaulting several women at Cox`s Bazar beach.
Jabed Mahmud, OC of the Detective Branch (DB) of Cox`s Bazar Police, confirmed the arrest and stated that Farukul was taken into DB custody that night.
The harassment and assault of several women by a group of men in Cox`s Bazar have been widely shared on social media through video footage.
Upon reviewing several videos, police identified a group led by Mohammad Farukul Islam, who attacked women at the beach and Lal Dighi areas of Cox`s Bazar on the night of September 11.
In one video, Farukul, armed with a stick, verbally abused a woman on the beach, forcing her to do sit-ups while holding her ears.
Another video shows the same group confronting a woman sitting on a beach chair late at night, questioning her presence and forcing her to leave, despite her pleas, saying, "I am just a tourist; what is my fault?"
A third video depicts a woman pleading with police officers near a restaurant at Sugandha Beach to help her retrieve her mobile phone, which the group had taken. "I will buy a ticket and return to Dhaka immediately if you return my phone," she said.
In another instance, Farukul is seen repeatedly striking a woman with a stick while she lies on the floor, begging for the beating to stop.
The group also stopped a rickshaw carrying two women, dragging them from the vehicle. When the women tried to flee, Farukul chased them with sticks.
Qadaruddin Shishir, Bangladesh editor of AFP Fact Check, verified the authenticity of the videos and confirmed Farukul`s involvement.
The incidents occurred on the night of September 11, and Farukul and his associates posted the videos on Facebook, boasting about their actions.
Farukul`s Facebook account was deactivated briefly but later reappeared, with most videos deleted.
However, some posts remained in which Farukul justified the attacks, accusing the women of being prostitutes and claiming those criticizing him were also involved in the trade.
In one post, he claimed the administration was supporting his actions.
