A university student and his cousin have allegedly been assaulted by a traffic sergeant of the Barisal Metropolitan Police inside a traffic police box.
Saidul Islam, hailing from Jhalakathi's Nalchity and a student at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman University of Science and Technology in Gopalganj, and his cousin, Maruf Molla, were the victims.
Barishal Metropolitan Police Traffic Division on Tuesday said the complaint is being investigated.
Saidul claimed that the incident took place around 5:15pm on Sunday.
He alleged that when he was crossing Rupatali Golchattor on a motorcycle with his cousin after attending a wedding, the on-duty traffic sergeant, Shahidul Islam, asked him to stop in front of the police box and show the documents of the vehicle.
After seeing his documents, the police officer berated him for not wearing a helmet and told them about filing a case.
As Saidul was going inside the police box introducing himself as a student and requesting the sergeant not to file the case, the police officer became angry and started to assault him, claimed Saidul.
He beat up Saidul and Maruf and snatched away the mobile phone when Maruf tried to record a video of the incident.
On information, their relatives rescued them and took them to a hospital.
Saidul's brother, Shafiqul Islam, said if there was a crime, my brother should be tried in court. But beating him up in a police box is definitely a crime. There was no CCTV camera in that box. Sergeant Shahidul turned off the body camera during the incident.
Traffic Inspector Arif Mahmood was also present there, and he also took a stand in favour of beating, he added.
Denying the allegation, Sergeant Shahidul Islam said a case was filed for not wearing a helmet. When they became agitated, he said he informed the police station.
When asked whether the body camera was on at the time of the incident, Shahidul Islam said the camera was switched off.
TI Arif Mahmood, who was present at the spot, also rebuffed the claim. He said only about arguments.
Deputy Commissioner of Barisal Metropolitan Police Traffic Division SM Tanveer Arafat said that he has heard about the incident.
An investigation committee has been formed to investigate the incident, he said.
The real facts will be known when the report comes. If the allegations are found to be true, action will be taken against the police sergeant as per rules, added the police official.