A woman has been accused of twisting the leg of her three-month-old nephew in Narsingdi, triggering widespread public outrage after a video of the incident went viral on social media.
The incident occurred on June 11 in Paikadi village under Amdia Union of Narsingdi Sadar Upazila, police said.
The accused, Lata Begum (32), has been absconding since the incident, while police have detained three members of her family, including her husband, for questioning as part of the investigation.
According to police, the alleged assault stemmed from a family dispute. Investigators said Lata Begum entered the house and allegedly twisted the infant’s leg in anger. The baby’s mother secretly recorded the incident on her mobile phone.
The video was later handed to her brother on July 11 before eventually spreading across social media. Police are now investigating who leaked the footage and how it was circulated online.
Although social media posts claimed that the baby’s leg had been broken, police said the claim was not supported by the investigation.
“The claim that the baby’s leg was broken is not true,” said Madhabdi Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mohammad Kamal Hossain, adding that investigators found inconsistencies between the viral claims and statements provided by the child’s parents.
The infant’s parents, Jahirul Haque Jahir and Saifa, said the matter had already been resolved within the family three days earlier and that they had no intention of filing a complaint.
“Our baby is healthy, and his leg was not broken. No bandage or medical treatment was required,” the parents said, alleging that misleading information accompanied the viral video on social media.
Despite the family’s position, police brought the accused woman’s husband, father-in-law, and mother-in-law to the police station for questioning to help ensure a fair investigation and maintain law and order following heightened public anger. Officers also seized a mobile phone as part of the inquiry.
Meanwhile, the viral video has sparked strong public condemnation, with local residents demanding a thorough investigation and exemplary punishment for the accused.
Police said efforts are ongoing to locate and arrest Lata Begum, who remains at large.
