Comilla University students take two police members to campus mistaking them for impostors; matter later settled

Students of Comilla University have taken two police members serving at Cumilla Kotwali Model Police Station onto a bus and to the campus after mistaking them for impostors. A police source was also beaten and taken to the campus at the same time.

The incident took place at around 8pm on Thursday (5 November) in the area adjoining Cumilla Police Lines and Government Women's College. It centred on the searching of two university students.

The police members were Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Shyamal Saha of Cumilla Kotwali Model Police Station and Constable Md Hanif. The police source who was with them was named Zahid.

Police and university sources said Siam and Orpa, students of the Statistics Department of Comilla University from the 2023-24 session, were walking along the road to catch a bus on Thursday evening after finishing tuition. Three men stopped them, saying they were police, and searched them.

When the two students asked to see police identity cards, the men failed to show any. Taking them for fake police, several university students got off a bus, beat them and dragged them onto the bus.

The three, including the two police members, were beaten as they were taken to the Comilla University campus and then to the proctor's room. There it was confirmed that two of them were police members and one was a police source.

Later, in the presence of the university administration, the police administration, teachers, students and journalists, both sides were heard. After the hearing, the two sides reached a settlement.

ASI Shyamal Saha, who was beaten, said they had wanted to know the identity of the two students. After the students identified themselves as university students, they were released and an apology was made. As the police members had no identity cards with them, they showed a walkie-talkie and handcuffs and also offered to confirm their identity by contacting officers on duty. He said a mob was created and they were taken away without listening to that.

Comilla University Proctor Professor Dr Mohammad Shahadat Hossain said an ASI, a constable and a police source from Kotwali Police Station were with the students and had tried to search them. When the students asked to see identity cards, they could not show them, and the authorities of the police station concerned have also admitted the matter.

The proctor said the two sides argued and the students then forcibly brought them to the campus. Instead of picking someone up in this way, the matter should have been reported to the authorities concerned or to the university administration. Equally, the police members should have kept their identity cards with them. Both sides had shortcomings, and after hearing both sides the matter was resolved.

District Police Assistant Superintendent (Sadar Dakshin Circle) Mostain Billah Ferdous said the matter could have been resolved from the spot by phoning the police station or 999. Taking police members to the campus by bus was in no way desirable. He said there had been a residue of mob culture since 5 August, and that everyone must move away from it.