According to ESPNcricinfo, the suspended officers are Sub-Inspector Mohammad Shafiqul Islam Bhuiyan, Constable Mohammad Rasel Chowdhury, and a Police Operations Management constable whose identity has not been disclosed. Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP) Commissioner Shawkat Ali also visited Nayeem’s residence and assured that appropriate action would be taken based on the findings of the investigation.
Recalling the incident, Nayeem said he was terrified when police allegedly forced him into a CNG-run auto-rickshaw. He credited local residents and supporters for intervening and preventing the situation from escalating further.
“When they put me into the CNG, I was very frightened. If the 100 to 120 supporters and local people had not been present, the incident could have turned out differently. I would especially like to thank them. When the police took me to Khulshi Police Station, I appealed to them. The supporters also came from Lalkhan Bazar to the police station with me that night,” Nayeem told The Daily Star, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
The incident sparked strong reactions across the cricket community. Several prominent Bangladesh cricketers, including Mushfiqur Rahim and Litton Das, expressed shock and concern, while the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and the Cricketers Welfare Association of Bangladesh condemned the alleged misconduct and called for accountability.
BCB President Tamim Iqbal reaffirmed the board’s support for the national spinner, saying, “Whatever needs to be done from here on will also be done by the BCB. We are always with Nayeem and other cricketers.”
Nayeem alleged that the incident occurred on the night of June 13 in Chattogram while he was returning home from Dhaka airport. Earlier that day, he had travelled back from Savar, where his club, Prime Bank Cricket Club, had played a Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League match in which he did not feature.
According to Nayeem, police officers stopped the CNG-run auto-rickshaw he was travelling in near Lalkhan Bazar. He claimed the officers acted aggressively from the outset, despite him not knowing the reason for their actions. Nayeem further alleged that officers grabbed him by the throat and attempted to take him to a police station in another auto-rickshaw. He said bystanders informed the officers that he was a national cricketer, but their appeals were ignored.
The investigation committee is expected to submit its findings in the coming days, which will determine the next course of action against the officers involved.
