Police have arrested Pabitra Kumar Barua, the manager and administrative officer of Sharmin Academy in Dhaka’s Nayapaltan area, in connection with the abuse of a student, following a viral CCTV footage that triggered widespread public anger.

He was picked up early today from a house in Mirpur, Motijheel Division Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Harun Or Rashid told The Daily Star this morning.

Pabitra is the husband of Sharmin Jahan, the founding principal of Sharmin Academy, the DC said.

Two cases were filed yesterday over the abuse.

The child’s mother filed a case with Paltan Police Station under Section 70 of the Children Act against Sharmin and Pabitra – both are seen in the video beating and intimidating the child.

The CCTV footage, dated January 18 at 12:51pm, shows a woman dragging a child in a school uniform into an office room. She first slaps the child. A man who was already present in the room then joins in, at times grabbing the child by the throat.

The man is seen holding a stapler. The child is seen crying and distressed. The woman is smiling and laughing.

According to police, Sharmin -- also named in the case -- is on the run, and a separate team from Paltan Police Station is conducting a drive to arrest her.

Child rights advocates have criticised the incident, noting that corporal punishment in schools is prohibited under a 2011 Supreme Court judgment and a Ministry of Education circular.