Students and activists under the banner Nipironer Biruddhe Nribigyan (Anthropology Against Oppression) staged a protest march in front of Shahbagh Police Station on Wednesday, demanding the formation of an independent investigation committee and the removal of Deputy Commissioner (DC) Masud during the probe into the alleged assault on Dhaka University student leader Nayem Uddin.
Around 1:00pm, demonstrators marched from the Raju Sculpture at Dhaka University to Shahbagh Police Station, where they held a sit-in programme. A five-member delegation later sought to enter the station to submit a written complaint but was reportedly denied entry. According to the protesters, the duty officer refused to accept any complaint filed against a fellow police official.
Ania Fahmin, a student of the Anthropology department from the 2021–22 academic session and one of the demonstrators, said the delegation initially attempted to submit the written complaint but found that DC Masud was not present. “We then tried to hand the complaint to the duty officer, but he refused to accept any allegation against a police officer,” she said. She further alleged that even their attempt to lodge a verbal complaint prior to submitting it in writing was rejected.
The students recalled that at a rally held in front of Shahbagh Police Station on February 24, they had called for a formal apology from the police, the formation of an independent inquiry committee, and appropriate action against DC Masud and other officers allegedly involved in the incident. They had given the authorities a 24-hour deadline to meet their demands, but claimed that no visible steps had been taken after the deadline expired.
“A fair investigation cannot take place while DC Masud remains in his position,” Ania said. “It is not possible to ensure neutrality when the individual accused of ordering the assault is still in charge. He must be removed to safeguard the independence of the inquiry.”
