Cumilla:Students from Comilla University allegedly assaulted a plain-clothes assistant sub-inspector, a constable, and a police informant after suspecting them of impersonating police officers while conducting a search on two students in Cumilla city.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the incident occurred around 730 p.m. near the Police Lines and Government Women's College in the city. The policemen, identified as ASI Shyamal Saha and Constable Hanif of Kotwali Model Police Station, along with the informant Zahid, were allegedly beaten during their transport from the city to the university campus on a university bus and again on the campus. Videos of the incident have since circulated on social media.
The students, identified as Siam and Arpa from the 2023-24 academic session of the Department of Statistics, were reportedly returning from providing private tuition when they were stopped and searched by three plain-clothes men. The students asked for identification, but the men, who identified themselves as police, failed to show identity cards, only presenting walkie-talkies and handcuffs.
Suspecting impersonation, the students took the men on a university bus to the campus. ASI Shyamal claimed the students forcibly put them on the bus and assaulted them en route to the campus. The students later took the men to the university proctor's office for mediation.
Comilla University Proctor Prof Dr Mohammad Shahadat Hossain noted that the men could not produce identity cards when asked, leading to the incident. He suggested that students should have informed authorities rather than bringing the men to the campus, and that police personnel should carry identification. The matter was reportedly resolved following discussions with representatives from the university and police administration.
Assistant Superintendent of Police (Sadar South Circle) Mostain Billah Ferdous commented that the situation could have been resolved by contacting the police station or national emergency services instead of bringing the personnel to the campus.