Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) authorities yesterday temporarily suspended sergeant Imran for assaulting Assistant Professor of Journalism and Mass Communication Department of Jahangirnagar University (JU) Rakib Ahmed.
“Sergeant Imran was temporarily suspended and closed to DMP control room,” SM Jahangir Alam Sarker, acting deputy commissioner of DMP, said.
Jahangir said two separate probe bodies were also formed to investigate the incident and the committees were asked to submit their reports within three working days.
Necessary actions will be taken against Sergeant Imran after the probe reports are submitted, he says.
Kuddus Amin, deputy commissioner of Traffic of North Division, will lead the investigation of a probe body while Iqbal Hossain, DC of Uttara Division of police, the other one.
The suspension order came within hours after students of JU started demonstrating yesterday afternoon blocking the Dhaka-Aricha highway protesting the harassment of their teacher Rakib Ahmed.
The agitating students demanded punishment to the policeman responsible for the assault.
On Saturday night, Prof Rakib was harassed by the police official in the House Building area of Uttara Model Town while he was going to Airport Railway Station along with his parents in their private car for a visit to Sylhet.
Rakib told the Dhaka Tribune that as they reached the House Building area, sergeant Imran flagged down their car and asked for car documents.
After the sergeant browsed through the papers he declared that the car be seized without mentioning any reason.
When Rakib requested him to let them go as they might miss the train he refused to give in. Exasperated, Rakib produced his university ID card but the sergeant became more furious and dragged him by the collar to the nearby police box.
The sergeant beat him up in the police box.
Asked about filing any cases, Rakib said he contacted with Uttara West police station to file a complaint but they said the area was under Uttara East police station.
When I went to the Uttara police station they told me the area belonged to Uttara West. Finally he could not lodge any complaint.
Several hundred students of the university staged demonstration on the campus and Dhaka-Aricha highway around 1pm yesterday demanding punishment to the police officer who assaulted Rakib.
The demonstration caused a huge traffic tailback on the highway.
The agitating students withdrew their demonstration at 3pm after JU VC Prof Farzana Islam assured them of taking proper action against the sergeant responsible for the incident.
Dr Tapan Kumar Saha, JU proctor, says the vice-chancellor of the university has already sent a letter to the inspector general of police and the Home Ministry as well to take action against the police personnel.
Meanwhile, Dhaka University Journalist Association gave a 48-hour ultimatum for punishment to be meted out to the accused police official. Rakib Ahmed is a former president of the association.
The ultimatum was issued from a human chain organised by the DUJA in front of the Aparajeo Bangla of the Dhaka University around 12 noon.