Cruelty Case: ‘Cream Apa’ Arrested for Abusing Children on Social Media
Sharmin Sultana, widely known on social media as Cream Apa, has been arrested by police on charges of child abuse after videos of her alleged mistreatment of her own children went viral. She was detained on Thursday night (April 10) from the Savar municipality area.
Earlier, on Wednesday, Kazi Israt Jaman, the Women Affairs Officer of Savar Upazila, filed a case against Sharmin at Ashulia Police Station under the Children Act.
According to the case statement, Sharmin had been residing in Ashulia, Savar, and working as a beautician. Known online as “Cream Apa,” she marketed homemade skincare products and frequently posted beauty-related content. She also shared videos featuring her young son and daughter across platforms like Facebook and TikTok.
On March 30, Sharmin posted a disturbing video on her Facebook profile around 4:00 pm, which quickly went viral. In the video, she was seen forcefully pressing her young daughter’s face and shoving cake-like food into her mouth. It was alleged that for over a year, Sharmin had been engaging in cruel, neglectful, and abusive behavior towards her children in pursuit of social media views and financial gain. These actions were reported to have caused physical and psychological harm to the children.
In response, a case was filed, and she was arrested accordingly. Investigations revealed that on Sunday, child rights activist Sadat Rahman and others submitted a memorandum to the Dhaka District Commissioner’s office, demanding immediate action against Sharmin. The administration assured action within three days. Copies of the memorandum were also sent to the Advisor of the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs and the Director General of the Department of Social Services.
Md. Kamal Hossain, Investigation Officer at Ashulia Police Station, confirmed the arrest, stating, “A case has been filed against Sharmin Sultana under Section 70 of the Children Act. She has been accused of abusing, harassing, and indecently displaying a child. She was arrested in connection with this case.”
He added that Sharmin will be produced before the court on Friday (April 11). Regarding the custody of the children, he said, “I am not aware of the decision yet. After consulting with social service officials and presenting the matter to the court, a decision will be made regarding who will care for the children in their mother's absence.”
It is noted that Sharmin operated a beauty salon named “Cream Apa Beauty Parlour” in the Baipail area of Ashulia and frequently posted videos about homemade beauty products and their usage on social media.
