Bangladesh cricketing fraternity has expressed deep outrage following a shocking incident of physical brutality and harassment involving national Test spinner Nayeem Hasan. The 26-year-old off-spinner was allegedly beaten with batons, grabbed by the throat, and wrongfully detained by law enforcement personnel in Chattogram.
The explosive public revelation has triggered swift administrative backlash, resulting in the immediate suspension of three police officers, the removal of a local precinct chief, and the opening of a high-level investigative probe.
The Incident Details
The incident unfolded late on Friday night (June 12) as Nayeem was returning home from the Chattogram Airport. Having flown back from Dhaka following his participation in the domestic Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League, Nayeem caught a CNG-run auto-rickshaw to make the final leg of his journey home to the Chandgaon area.
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While travelling under the Lalkhan Bazar flyover, the vehicle was suddenly forced to a stop by several individuals who claimed to be members of the Detective Branch (DB) of the police. What followed was an aggressive and highly unprofessional escalation:
Physical Abuse: Officers forcibly dragged Nayeem out of the vehicle. Despite showing his official national player identification card, Sub-Inspector (SI) Shafiqul Islam repeatedly struck him with a baton while a plainclothes police informant named Sohel beat him with a pipe.
Abduction Attempt: The attackers completely ignored warnings from a growing crowd of 150 onlookers who recognized the athlete. The men repeatedly screamed, “You are an accused person, stay quiet,” and tried to push him into a separate auto-rickshaw rather than an official police transport vehicle.
🗣️ Nayeem Hasan’s full statement on the incident 🇧🇩
“I was returning after playing a DPL match. Our flight arrived at 10:20 PM. At that time, we couldn’t find any car, so I was going by CNG.
At the toll area, a traffic police officer stopped us. Then someone said to check our… pic.twitter.com/u3CA6sYGN9
— Shadman Sakib Arnob (@arnuX05) June 13, 2026
Station Harassment: Nayeem’s phone was confiscated, and he was brought to the Khulshi Police Station. He alleged that the Officer-in-Charge (OC), Mohammad Arif, treated him with extreme disrespect, aggressively demanding that the cricketer “keep his eyes down” while explaining the situation.
BCB Intervention and Sudden Shift in Tone
The hostile environment at the station shifted dramatically only after Nayeem recovered his phone and placed an emergency call to Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) officials. Following high-level phone calls from the cricket board directly to senior police management, the precinct’s demeanor transformed instantly. Nayeem was subsequently released in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Expressing profound horror over the situation, Nayeem questioned the broader safety of common citizens.
“People recognized me, which is probably why I survived today,” Nayeem stated. “But if an ordinary citizen had been in my place, what would have happened to him? If ordinary people are not safe even in the hands of law enforcement agencies, then this is extremely alarming.”
Suspensions, Removals, and Legal Action
In response to the public outcry, Nayeem’s brother filed a formal case detailing assault and attempted abduction.
The Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP) moved quickly into damage control. CMP Commissioner Hasan Md Shawkat Ali ordered a thorough internal inquiry under a three-member investigation committee.
Consequently, SI Shafiqul Islam Bhuiyan, Constable Mohammad Rasel Chowdhury, and an operational management constable have been formally suspended. Furthermore, Khulshi Police Station OC Mohammad Arif was stripped of his command and attached to the district police lines for failing to supervise his officers properly. The civilian informant, Sohel, has been detained.
The BCB issued a stern, public statement fiercely condemning the actions of the officers.
“The board strongly condemns the unacceptable and inappropriate conduct displayed towards the player and views the matter with the utmost seriousness. Such treatment of a national athlete is deeply regrettable and warrants immediate attention.”
Veteran figures like Mushfiqur Rahim also voiced their solidarity, labeling the incident completely “unacceptable.”
