An incident described by locals as “medieval barbarity” has come to light in Hatiya Upazila, Noakhali, where an informal village arbitration body (Salish) ordered the public caning and heavy fining of a bride’s family merely for playing music at a wedding celebration.
The incident occurred on Wednesday afternoon in Ward No. 9 of Burirchar Union. The family, led by Shahjahan, faced the illegal judgment after a minor dispute over the use of a microphone escalated.
Caning, Fine, and Confiscation
The victim, Shahjahan, reported that the trouble began when local figures, including Afsar, Sarowar, and Malek, demanded answers about the music. Following a scuffle, a Salish was convened by influential community members.
Shahjahan stated, “I am a poor man. I used a mic briefly for my daughter’s wedding out of joy. For this, Afsar, Sarowar, and Malek beat us, and then they organized a Salish against us.”
The panel of judges, which included Alauddin Majhi, Taslim, Anwar Majhi, Sentu, and Rofiq, issued an extreme verdict: 15 lashes with a cane for all male members of the family.
“Even after we begged for forgiveness repeatedly, they did not listen,” Shahjahan lamented.
Following the caning, the family was slapped with a 30,000 Taka fine. When Shahjahan failed to produce the money immediately, Afsar confiscated the family’s only source of income—his son-in-law’s auto-rickshaw—as collateral.
Conflicting Accounts and Legal Condemnation
One of the arbitrators, Alauddin Majhi, confirmed that the argument began over the microphone but offered a different justification for the severe penalty. He claimed Afsar had lost 50,000 Taka during the disturbance, and the Salish, lacking evidence for the loss, settled on a 30,000 Taka compensation fine.
Majhi also claimed that only the men were caned, with Shahjahan himself tasked with disciplining the women of the household.
Local residents and legal observers universally condemned the action, asserting that such physical punishment and kangaroo courts are entirely illegal under Bangladeshi law, which reserves the right to judge and punish criminal offenses exclusively for established courts.
“This is not just a violation of personal liberty; it is a serious criminal offense. These perpetrators are acting as if they are above the law,” commented a concerned local.
Police Response
Police Inspector (SI) Forhad Hossain of Sagaria Outpost confirmed that he had visited the scene after receiving news of the clash over the microphone.
“I heard about a collision over playing the mic at the wedding. I went to the spot and advised both parties to take legal action,” SI Hossain said. He added that he left when he saw they were organizing a Salish and stated the family has not yet filed a formal complaint.
He concluded that legal action would be taken immediately upon receipt of a written complaint regarding the incident.
