"Hit him everywhere except the head," a man can be heard telling others in a video spread online, showing a crowd beating Md Alam Sheikh, 41, to death at Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital in Dhaka over suspicion of child theft.
Several people are seen striking Alam after forcing him to the ground. Police have arrested Md Mostafizur Rahman Ayon, and are trying to identify others involved by reviewing footage of the incident.
Alam's family said he had mental health issues and lived in the capital's Rupnagar area. His elder brother filed a case over the killing, Ibne Mizan, deputy commissioner of the Tejgaon Division Police, said.
'Kill him,' mob shouted
Three videos obtained by The Business Standard show several people surrounding Alam as around a hundred people gather. Some shout, "Kill him, kill him" and "Tie his hands," while another urges them to "Hand him over to the police".
A man wearing a white T-shirt asks Alam, "Your home is in Dhanmondi. What are you doing here?" Alam is not seen responding. At least four people then strike him, while one tells him to "Stop acting, stop acting".
When Alam falls to the ground, a person repeatedly warns others not to hit him in the wrong places. Four or five people continue beating him. Near the end of the footage, someone says, "Hit him everywhere except the head."
In another video, a man appears to livestream the incident, claiming a "child thief" has been caught inside the hospital and urging viewers to stay alert. In a separate clip, he shouts that Alam had come to steal a child as three police officers walk away from the crowd.
Police have not confirmed whether the clips were recorded before or after Alam's death, or whether he attempted to steal a child. They have yet to establish the identities and roles of everyone seen in the footage.
Police said Alam was surrounded outside the hospital's paediatric ward late Wednesday night, dragged downstairs and beaten. Officers from Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station went to the scene after receiving information through national emergency service 999.
Police identified Alam through fingerprint verification and sent his body for an autopsy. Ayon, whose home is in Uttar Rajapur, Faridganj upazila, Chandpur, had been living in Dhaka's Senpara Parbata area of Mirpur-10.
187 killed in mob violence in nine months, government puts toll at 40
The killing has renewed concerns over mob violence in Bangladesh, where human rights organisations report a death toll more than four times the government's figure for the first nine months of this year.
Police Headquarters figures published by the Home Ministry on 20 October show 63 mob-beating incidents from January to September, leaving 40 people dead and 65 injured. During the same period in 2025, 107 incidents left 63 dead and 82 injured, a 41.12% decline in incidents.
However, Human Rights Support Society (HRSS) recorded 398 incidents of mob violence and beatings this year, leaving 187 people dead and 401 injured. Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) reported at least 171 deaths over the same period.
On 28 April, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed told parliament that authorities are using intelligence-led operations, video footage, increased police patrols and community policing to prevent mob violence.
They were also monitoring social media for rumours that incite violence. The Dhaka Metropolitan Police had formed special teams at every police station to prevent such incidents and respond quickly.
Human rights activist Nur Khan said no mob-violence or mob-beating case from the past two and a half years had concluded in court. Although arrests had been made in some cases, proceedings remained slow. Timely trials and punishment in high-profile cases could have helped prevent further violence, he added.