Two Men Forced to Shave Heads in Bangladesh Over Mosque Salary Dispute

In Barhatta, Netrokona, Bangladesh, two individuals were allegedly subjected to physical abuse, including having their heads shaved, following accusations of making disparaging remarks about a mosque and its imam's salary. The incident reportedly occurred on Wednesday afternoon during a local arbitration meeting held at the Madhupur Qawmi Madrasa in the Sahata Union. A video of the event surfaced on Facebook on Thursday, drawing public attention. The dispute originated from a meeting on Monday concerning an initiative to increase the imam's salary, which is funded by local donations. During the meeting, two men, one from Madhupur village and another who is a Hindu man accompanying him, allegedly made negative comments about the mosque and the salary increase. They reportedly denied making any offensive remarks about the mosque, imam, or religious figures during the arbitration, but apologized to those present. Despite their denials, the arbitration, which included the madrasa's principal Ali Ahmad, teachers, religious leaders, and local figures, concluded with the decision to shave their heads. A one-minute video shows the shaving process taking place on the madrasa's veranda. The victims have reportedly remained at home due to shame and humiliation. A nephew of one victim stated that his uncle only commented on the salary increase and did not insult the mosque or religious figures, expressing a desire for justice. The general secretary of the Helocha Bazar Jame Mosque Committee, Rangu Mia, stated he was not present at the arbitration and believes criminal matters should be handled by law. Ali Ahmad, the principal of Madhupur Qawmi Madrasa, confirmed his presence at the arbitration, explaining it was a localized resolution to avoid escalating the matter to the police, with the consent of the accused's guardians and elders. He noted that the decision was not his alone and that a negative reaction is now ensuing. Netrokona Superintendent of Police, Torikul Islam, stated that police were dispatched to the location after the video came to his attention on Thursday night and that a legal investigation will be conducted.