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DU students protest over alleged police assault
Daily Sun Report, DU
Published: 24 Feb 2026, 04:02 PM
Photo: Daily Sun
Students of Dhaka University (DU) staged a demonstration in front of Shahbagh Police Station on Tuesday, alleging that police assaulted a fellow student and two journalists during an anti-drug drive at Suhrawardy Udyan.
The protesters demanded the immediate removal of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Ramna Zone Deputy Commissioner Masud Alam and exemplary punishment for those responsible.
More than a hundred students from different departments joined the protest, which began at 1pm on 24 February.
They accused police of attacking DU students and journalists during an operation at Suhrawardy Udyan on Monday night. Two journalists reportedly sustained injuries and received treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
According to the protesters, Naim Uddin, a 29th batch student of the Anthropology Department and a left-leaning student leader, was physically assaulted during the drive.
Addressing the gathering, students warned against what they described as unjust treatment of university students. “If you touch university students unjustly, the results will not be good. In the past too, students have given a befitting reply to injustice,” they said.
Artha Barua, a student of the Department of Theatre and Performance Studies, criticised the anti-drug operation and described it as a “drama”.
He alleged that despite the presence of a major drug syndicate around Shahbagh Police Station, no significant consignments had been seized during such drives.
The protesters further alleged that DC Masud Alam compromised the confidentiality of the operation by using sirens and broadcasting the drive live on multiple Facebook pages, enabling suspects to flee. They termed the practice “celebrity policing”.
A third-year student, who participated in the protest, alleged that police officers at Shahbagh Police Station had tortured him and broken his mobile phone when he went to file a general diary (GD) a few days ago.
He claimed that police later attempted to cover up the incident by denying the existence of CCTV footage despite cameras being installed at the station.
Shafin Ahmed, a student of BRAC University, joined the demonstration and called for radical reforms in police professionalism and conduct.
Speaking at the protest, Naim Uddin said, “I have not committed any crime. The police did not find anything to me. Still, they hit me on the head, hands and feet.”
The protesters demanded disciplinary action against every officer involved in the operation, including DC Masud Alam, and called for his unconditional apology.