Police have arrested Pabitra Kumar Barua, the manager of Sharmin Academy, a kindergarten in Nayapaltan, over a child abuse incident.
He was taken into custody early Friday (January 23) from a house in Mirpur by Paltan Police.
Deputy Police Commissioner (DC) of Motijheel Division, Mohammad Harun Or Rashid, confirmed the arrest to Jago News.
According to police, the incident occurred last Sunday (January 18) at Sharmin Academy, located on Mosque Road in Nayapaltan. A video of the incident later went viral on social media.
The viral CCTV footage shows a female teacher leading the child into the office by hand. While the child sits on a sofa, a male teacher stands and grabs the child’s face, head, and neck. The female teacher holds the child’s hands during the assault, and the child is repeatedly beaten in this manner.
The male teacher, wearing glasses, cream-colored pants, and a grey T-shirt, hits the child multiple times, while a female teacher in a pink saree restrains the child. The child is also scolded and told to remain silent through gestures.
Following the incident, the child’s mother filed a case at Paltan Model Police Station on Thursday (January 22). The case names Sharmin Jahan, the founding principal of the academy, and manager Pabitra Kumar as accused. The two are husband and wife.