A Jubo Dal leader allegedly beat an on-duty police constable right in front of a police station in Chattogram’s Sitakunda on Thursday night. The BNP’s youth wing expelled the leader the following day amid widespread criticism over the incident.
The expelled leader, Ismail Hossain, was a vice president of the Chattogram North District Jubo Dal.
Police and witnesses said Ismail went to the Sitakunda Model Police Station area in a private car at around 9 p.m. Thursday. Several local Jubo Dal leaders and activists accompanied him.
Ismail parked the car in front of the police station gate and left the area. He returned about an hour later.
When he returned, constable Md. Shafique, a police driver at the station, asked him why he had parked the car in front of the station gate.
Ismail then allegedly confronted Shafique and beat him for questioning him about the car, according to police and witnesses.
Police officers inside the station rushed to the scene and detained Ismail. They took him inside the station and placed him in the lockup.
News of Ismail’s detention soon spread in the area. Local BNP and Jubo Dal leaders and activists gathered in front of the police station and began protesting.
At around 9:30 p.m., several leaders entered the station and held talks with police. Sitakunda Upazila BNP Convener Kamal Kadar and former Upazila Jubo Dal General Secretary Shahabuddin Raju led the group.
The meeting continued for about four hours. Police eventually released Ismail into the custody of BNP leaders.
The Jubo Dal central committee expelled Ismail on Friday after news of the incident spread.
In a statement signed by Joint General Secretary Minhajul Islam, Jubo Dal said it had expelled Ismail from all party posts over a clear allegation that he obstructed law enforcement personnel while they were performing their professional duties.
The organization also asked law enforcement authorities to take necessary action against him.
Sitakunda Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mohinul Islam confirmed that Shafique was assaulted following a dispute over the car parked in front of the station.
He said the assault injured Shafique and police took him to the Upazila Health Complex for treatment.
Police detained Ismail over the incident and kept him in the station lockup, the officer-in-charge said. Senior police officials later released him into the custody of senior local leaders of his party.
Repeated phone calls to Ismail seeking his response to the allegation went unanswered.
Sitakunda Upazila BNP Convener Kamal Kadar, however, described the incident as the result of a minor verbal altercation.
He said they secured Ismail’s release from the police lockup at around 1 a.m.
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