DU students surround police station in protest of police attack

Students of the 29th batch of the Anthropology Department at the University of Dhaka have surrounded Shahbagh Police Station in Dhaka, demanding legal action against Ramna Division Deputy Commissioner (DC) Masud Alam following a police attack on their fellow student, Naimuddin.

The demonstration began shortly after 1:00 pm on Tuesday (24 February). During the protest, students claimed that on Monday night, police had attacked Naimuddin at Suhrawardy Udyan without any valid reason. “Who has given the police the right to beat people arbitrarily on the streets? Can people no longer walk freely on roads? Are roads the property of the police?” they asked, warning that they would continue the protest until DC Masud was held accountable.

The students demanded that DC Masud and all police officers involved in the attack be punished, that all forms of unauthorized policing inside and outside the university campus be stopped, and that the continuous safety and human rights of all university students be ensured.

Meanwhile, during an anti-drug operation at Suhrawardy Udyan in the capital, police have also been accused of assaulting two multimedia journalists, a DU student, and other bystanders. The journalists were Tofayel Ahmed (25) of Banglanews24.com and Kausar Ahmed Ripon (27) of Ajker Patrika.

Videos circulating on social media show police officers beating Tofayel indiscriminately with batons. He was later taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for treatment. Speaking to the media, Tofayel said police prevented him from filming the operation, and during the ensuing argument, four to five constables began assaulting him. Ripon was also injured while trying to protect his colleague. He said police prevented him from recording the incident and struck him on the leg with a baton.

Responding to the allegations, DC Masud Alam described the incident as a misunderstanding. He said that during the operation, a police officer had been cut on the eyebrow with a knife by a drug addict, and in the tense situation, officers mistakenly attacked the journalists, who did not have ID cards. DC Masud apologized for the incident and assured that those responsible would be held accountable.