A wave of public outrage has swept across online and offline platforms after several cats were found brutally mutilated and blinded near Taqwa Mosque in the capital’s Dhanmondi area.
The gruesome incident, in which the eyes of multiple cats were gouged out and the animals left in agony, has drawn sharp condemnation from animal lovers and netizens across the country.
Public outrage surged as photos and accounts of the cats circulated online, with many describing the perpetrators as “inhuman,” “sadistic,” and “mentally deranged.” Police have launched an investigation to identify those responsible for what they described as a “brutal and psychopathic act.”
Responding to a query on Sunday, Dhanmondi Police Station Officer-in-Charge Kyashinyu Marma told TIMES of Bangladesh: “Such cruelty could only be committed by mentally deranged individuals. Only someone with severe psychological issues could do such an act.
“We are analysing CCTV footage from the lake area and interviewing locals to find the culprits and bring them to justice,” he added.
The four cats, each wearing collars and small bells – suggesting they were once pets or cared for by local animal enthusiasts – were discovered near Dhanmondi Lake. One is white, one black-and-mixed, and the remaining two are of different colours.
All four, blinded after their eyes were removed, are now under the care of a local animal lover.
According to the First Information Report (FIR) filed with police: “Over the past several days, one or more unidentified persons have been brutally mutilating cats around Dhanmondi 12/A near Taqwa Mosque, gouging out their eyes and leaving them blind. In the past four days, four such cats have been found in the same condition. This clearly appears to be the work of a serial offender or offenders.”
Commenting on the matter, Barrister Towfiqul Islam Khan said: “The precision of the mutilation suggests surgical expertise. This could be the work of an educated and trained young psychopath. Criminology suggests that many psychopaths begin their violent behaviour with animals because they cannot defend themselves. Such acts fall under multiple sections of the Animal Welfare Act 2019, as well as Section 428 of the Penal Code. It is a punishable offence.”
The shocking incident has renewed calls for stronger enforcement of animal welfare laws and harsher penalties for cruelty against animals in Bangladesh.
