'Grabbed my throat, beat me': Bangladesh cricketer accuses local police of assault
‘Grabbed my throat, beat me’: Bangladesh cricketer accuses local police of assault originally appeared on Cricket News.
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KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Bangladesh Test spinner Nayeem Hasan claims local police grabbed and beat him at night.
- Nayeem says officers initially ignored his identity as a national cricketer.
- Chattogram police confirm investigation is underway and promise full accountability.
Bangladesh Test cricketer Nayeem Hasan allegedly assaulted by police in Chattogram
Bangladesh Test off-spinner Nayeem Hasan has alleged that he was physically assaulted and verbally abused by members of a law enforcement agency in his home city of Chattogram late on Saturday night.
Nayeem had just returned to Chattogram after wrapping up his final match for Prime Bank Cricket Club in the Dhaka Premier League, which is Bangladesh’s flagship List A tournament, at BKSP in Dhaka on June 12.
His flight back was delayed, and he was travelling home from the airport by a CNG-powered auto-rickshaw when the incident unfolded. At around 11:25 PM, police stopped his vehicle beneath the Lankan Bazar flyover and asked the driver for his documents.
Nayeem described what followed in distressing detail after he was eventually released from the police station to which he had been taken.
The Bangladesh off-spinner then offered to let the officers check his bag if needed, but instead of cooperating, they grabbed him by the throat and threw him into their vehicle.
“My Premier League game was going on, and my flight was delayed. I was coming from the airport through my CNG and at around 11:25 PM, they (Police) stopped my CNG under the Lankan Bazar flyover and took the documents from the driver,” Nayeem told reporters.
“I told the police, ‘If necessary, you can check my bag’ but they grabbed me by the throat and said ‘Get in the car’ and took me into their car.
“I said ‘Why are you grabbing me by the throat’ but they pushed me out. Then they grabbed me, beat me and abused me.”
The spinner added that he identified himself as a national cricketer who represents Bangladesh in Test matches, but that his words made no difference to the officers at the scene.
“I even told them that I am a national cricketer and represent the country in Test matches, but they hardly bothered to listen and only when they got phone calls and were informed about me, did they change their attitude,” he added.
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Police respond with an investigation pledge
Chattogram Metropolitan Police’s Deputy Commissioner for the North zone, Amirul Islam, addressed reporters and confirmed that an investigation has been launched into the incident.
“We can assure you that he (Nayeem) will get justice,” said Amirul. “We are investigating the matter and whoever did it will be punished because we have zero tolerance in this regard considering police have a protocol and they must maintain that because our image is involved with it.”
Nayeem had recently been named in Bangladesh’s Test squad for the upcoming series against Zimbabwe.
The Bigger Picture: This cannot be brushed aside as an isolated incident
The fact that a well-known national cricketer was allegedly assaulted and only released after officials were contacted through backdoor channels raises a question that goes well beyond one incident.
But what happens to ordinary citizens who find themselves in the same situation without a famous name to fall back on? Nayeem’s case will likely be resolved quickly now that it has attracted public attention.
But justice for those in positions of vulnerability, with no phone calls to make and no media waiting outside the station, is far less certain.
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