A young man was forced into an intense workout session after being caught stealing equipment from a gym in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh.
Gym owner Abdullah Al Mamun left Power Gym Centre on 27 Jun to attend Jummah prayers. When he returned, the gym had been broken into. Batteries, cables, and some equipment were missing from the premises.
CCTV footage identified a young man as the suspect behind the theft.
On Wednesday (9 Jul), gym-goers spotted the suspect in a local market and brought him back to the gym. Mamun stated that he was not present during the incident and had instructed the gym-goers not to hurt the suspect.
The suspect confessed to being a drug user. He admitted that he stole from the gym to fund his addiction.
Forced Workout Punishment Goes Viral Online
Instead of beating the thief, gym members punished him by making him perform various exercises while filming the session.
The footage showed the suspect being forced into bench presses, bicep curls, push-ups, and squats with heavy weights.
He was also made to perform pull-ups, chest presses, and leg presses during the gruelling session.
The alleged thief was visibly distressed throughout the punishment. He was often seen in tears and at one point pleaded tearfully to be released.
The workout punishment continued until the man was visibly spent and on the verge of collapse.
The alleged thief eventually jumped from the third-floor gym onto a tin roof and escaped.
The video of the workout quickly went viral on X, garnering more than a million views within a number of days.
Mixed Reactions to Alternative Justice Method
Netizens have expressed divided opinions online about the unconventional punishment method.
One commenter called the workout a “great punishment.” Another felt that the punishment was “very creative,” but urged the gym owner to hand the suspect over to the authorities.
Some criticised the approach as humiliating and inappropriate. Others praised the creative, non-violent method of delivering justice.
One user disagreed with the punishment as he interpreted it as “taking the law into one’s hands.”
Questions remain over the legality and ethics of the punishment and making it a public spectacle.
This case is reminiscent of a previous incident in India. Another gym owner made a thief run on the treadmill after he was caught stealing from a gym. As the thief’s condition worsened, authorities were eventually notified.
The gym owner chose not to lodge an official complaint in that case.
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