Guards assault DOHS residents over cat feeding; probe body formed

Security guards in the capital's Baridhara DOHS have allegedly assaulted four residents while they were feeding stray cats on Thursday night.

Confirming the incident, Rakibul Islam, officer-in-charge (OC) of Cantonment Police Station, told the Daily Sun that the victims had not lodged a written complaint with the police.

"As far as I have known, a seven-member probe committee has been formed, with members from both the Animal Welfare of Baridhara DOHS (AWBD) and the Baridhara DOHS Parishad, to look into it," he said.

Aquibur Rahman Khan, one of the victims, said around 30 security guards had attacked them near the DOHS park while they were feeding the cats, before one of the guards forcibly took his wife's mobile phone.

"My wife was kicked to the ground and pulled by her hair, while I was severely beaten," he said.

Khan added that the guards had stamped on his foot and kicked him in the face and back, causing a hairline fracture.

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He said the guards had also taken other residents' phones to stop them recording the incident.

Police and military police arrived at the scene, but Khan said they neither recovered the phones nor took immediate legal action, citing a lack of instructions from higher authorities.

The incident has heightened tensions between the AWBD and the Baridhara DOHS Parishad.

The AWBD says the Animal Welfare Act, 2019 requires the protection of animals.

Following the confrontation, the affected residents have called for a formal investigation into the matter.

A video spread on the social media showed a woman and some men describing the incident.

One of them said one of his fingers was fractured when some guards attacked him, while others showed injury marks on their bodies.