Doubts over identity during a search: CoU students take 2 policemen and a source to campus by bus
Photo: Collected
Two policemen and another man were searching two students of Comilla University (CoU). Allegations have been raised that the three were then taken to the campus on suspicion of being muggers and beaten. Students picked them up from the Racecourse area of Cumilla city around 7pm on Thursday (5 November). The matter was later settled through a compromise after a long meeting of senior university and police officials.
The three who were beaten are Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Hanif and Constable Shyamal of Cumilla Kotwali Model Police Station, and police source Zahid.
According to eyewitnesses, Sifat Hossain Siam, a student of the Statistics department, and his friend Orpo were returning to campus after a tuition session. In the city’s Racecourse area, three men stopped them and began searching them, introducing themselves as police. When the students asked for their identity, the policemen refused to give it. At one point they showed a walkie-talkie and handcuffs. As more students arrived at the scene, an altercation and scuffle broke out between the two sides.
With suspicion growing over the men’s identity, the students took them for muggers, put them on a university bus and brought them to the campus. It is also alleged that they were beaten after being taken off the bus. They were later handed over to the proctor’s office, where they were identified as ASI Hanif, Constable Shyamal and police source Zahid.
Senior Assistant Superintendent of Police (Cumilla Sadar Dakshin Circle) Mostain Billah Ferdous then came to the proctor’s office and confirmed their identity as police members. The university’s proctorial body and the police authorities settled the matter after hearing both sides.
In the account of Sifat Hossain Siam, the student involved, he and his friend Orpo were walking, with Orpo slightly ahead. Suddenly a man came up, put his hand on Orpo’s chest and said, ‘We are police, we will check you.’ He then put his hand in Orpo’s pocket. They were then asked who they were and where they lived. Identifying themselves as Comilla University students, they offered to show their ID cards. Another man in a black T-shirt then grabbed Siam’s collar from behind and said they too were police.
Siam added that when they asked to see the men’s ID cards, the men kept showing handcuffs instead. At one point a local man came and said that even police should not behave like this. Siam then suggested going to the university bus nearby to carry out the search. When a university bus arrived, the men were put on it and brought to the campus.
In the view of the university’s proctor, Dr Md Shahadat Hossain, both sides made some mistakes. The policemen did not want to reveal their identity and did not have ID cards with them. On the other hand, it would have been better if the students had informed the authorities concerned or the proctorial body; it was not right to bring the men to the campus by force. He said a reasonable solution was reached after hearing both sides, and both sides accepted it. Their hope is that such unwanted incidents do not happen again. The proctor added that a written compromise was later reached with the consent of both sides.
Additional Superintendent of Police (Media) of Cumilla Md Lutfor Rahman said a three-member investigation committee has been formed to examine whether there was any negligence on the part of the police. The committee has been asked to submit its report within three working days. He added that the proctor has already given an explanation regarding the university’s students.
District angle
On 27 September, at least 10 people were injured in a clash between two groups of students at Comilla University over seating in the central library — bdnews24.com reported this that day. A Samakal report on the same day put the number of injured at 12, so the figures differ between sources. Samakal said the university administration formed two investigation committees over that incident.
Sources
Original report: Bangladesh Pratidin
Background sources: bdnews24.com, 27 September 2026; Samakal, 27 September 2026
