A court in Patuakhali today issued arrest warrants against two men accused of beating two dogs to death in Auliapur union of Patuakhali Sadar upazila after a case was filed under the Animal Welfare Act.

The case was filed with the Senior Judicial Magistrate's Court by Patuakhali Sadar upazila Livestock Officer Dr Md Atiur Rahman.

The accused, Manju Hawlader, 50, and Jahir Hawlader, 45, both residents of South Badura village, have been charged under Section 7(2) of the Animal Welfare Act, 2019, and Section 428 of the Penal Code.

After taking cognisance of the case, Chief Judicial Magistrate (First Court) Judge Abu Bakar Siddique issued arrest warrants against the two accused, said Advocate Md Imran, counsel for the complainant.

According to the case statement, the incident took place at around 11:00am on July 23 in the Khejurtala Stand area of South Badura under Auliapur union. The two pet dogs were allegedly tied to electric poles with ropes and beaten to death with wooden sticks.

A video of the incident later went viral on social media, triggering widespread public outrage and drawing the attention of the authorities.

Dr Atiur Rahman said he came to know about the incident after watching the viral video on social media. Following verification, legal action was initiated on charges of cruelty to animals.

"Cruelty towards animals is unacceptable under any circumstances. The case has been filed in accordance with the law. We hope the investigation will uncover the facts and those responsible will face legal action," he said.

According to the case statement, the two dogs belonged to local tea stall owner Jahangir Payda. He said the dispute stemmed from an earlier incident in which six ducks owned by the accused, Manju Hawlader, were attacked by stray dogs.

According to Jahangir, Manju later blamed the dogs for the attack and demanded Tk 3,000 in compensation. When he refused to pay, the two dogs were allegedly captured, tied, and beaten to death.

Jahangir said he had been raising the dogs for nearly four years and ensured they received regular vaccinations. He alleged that Manju Hawlader and his cousin, Jahir Hawlader, killed the dogs in front of him.

"The day Manju's ducks were attacked, my dogs were at home. I told him they were not involved, but he ignored it," Jahangir said.

Attempts to contact the accused for comment were unsuccessful.

Manju Hawlader disconnected the call after the reporter identified himself, while Jahir Hawlader did not answer repeated phone calls.