A low-key ride home from Dhaka airport turned ugly for Bangladesh Test off-spinner Nayeem Hasan late on Friday, and the fall-out has already reached the Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP).
The force confirmed on Saturday that sub-inspector Mohammad Shafiqul Islam Bhuiyan, constable Mohammad Rasel Chowdhury and a third, as-yet-unnamed constable from the operations unit have been suspended. A three-member committee will examine exactly what happened near Lalkhan Bazar, with findings expected “as quickly as possible”, according to senior officers.
CMP commissioner Shawkat Ali visited Nayeem’s family home soon after dawn, offering what he called “personal assurances”. Deputy commissioner Amirul Islam then told The Daily Sun: “It appears initially that the officers involved did not follow proper procedures during the operation. We will ensure that he [Nayeem] receives justice, and whoever is found responsible will be brought under punishment.”
What we know so far
• Nayeem, 25, had travelled from Savar to Dhaka after sitting out Prime Bank Cricket Club’s Dhaka Premier League fixture.
• He and a friend hired a CNG auto-rickshaw for the final leg to his Chattogram home.
• Near Lalkhan Bazar, officers stopped the vehicle, reportedly asked few questions and became physical.
• Witnesses told police the passenger was a Bangladesh Test cricketer; the warning went unheeded.
• Nayeem was taken to Khulshi Police Station, questioned, then released in the early hours.
Speaking to The Daily Star on Sunday, the off-spinner recalled the moment things tipped over: “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.”
Reaction from the cricket community was swift yet measured. Veterans Mushfiqur Rahim and Litton Das posted messages of support, while the players’ union (CWAB) called the treatment “deeply troubling”. Bangladesh Cricket Board president Tamim Iqbal added: “Whatever needs to be done from here on will also be done by the BCB. We are always with Nayeem and other cricketers.”
The board’s stance matters because Nayeem is part of the 15-man squad due to fly to Zimbabwe next week for a one-off Test. Selectors see him as a reliable operator—14 Tests since 2018, a serviceable off-break, and an ability to hold an end when the quicks rotate. Preparation for that tour, however, now jostles with legal meetings and medical check-ups. Friends say he is shaken but physically fine.
What happens next?
The investigation committee—typically made up of senior CMP officers and an external legal adviser—will interview the suspended policemen, Nayeem, eyewitnesses and station staff. Internal reviews like this in Bangladesh usually run ten to fifteen days, though public pressure can shorten timelines. If misconduct is proven, punishments range from formal reprimands to dismissal.
While no-one inside Bangladesh cricket is calling this a watershed moment, there is quiet hope that a prompt, transparent process could set a useful precedent. For now, Nayeem is back at training, his focus switching between off-spin drills and waiting for the next phone call from the CMP.
