Bangladesh off-spinner Nayeem Hasan says he was manhandled by policemen in Chattogram late on Friday, barely a few hours after flying back from Dhaka. The 25-year-old had travelled with Prime Bank Cricket Club for a Dhaka Premier League fixture – he did not make the XI – and was heading to his family home by CNG auto-rickshaw when the incident unfolded near Lalkhan Bazar.
According to Nayeem, officers stopped the vehicle without explanation and quickly turned hostile. “I repeatedly told them who I was, but they refused to listen,” he told reporters after regaining his composure on Saturday. “The police beat me indiscriminately with sticks and plastic pipes. Later, when I identified myself at the police station, the officer-in-charge told me to keep my eyes down while speaking.” He added, “If they were really police officers, why did they try to put me into a CNG instead of a police vehicle? I want a fair investigation and justice over the entire incident.”
Eyewitnesses, Nayeem said, tried to intervene by informing the officers that the young man in front of them had already played 14 Tests for Bangladesh. Their warnings appeared to fall on deaf ears. Eventually he was taken to the nearby police station, kept there for a short period, and allowed to leave in the early hours of Saturday.
Initial response from the Chattogram Metropolitan Police suggests at least some procedural lapses. Deputy commissioner Amirul Islam 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.”
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) issued a measured but firm statement on Saturday morning. “The Bangladesh Cricket Board expresses its deep concern regarding the reported incident involving harassment and abuse of Bangladesh national team cricketer Nayeem Hasan by some law enforcing agency members in Chattogram on Friday evening,” the board said. “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.” It continued, “The BCB expects a thorough and impartial investigation into the incident and urges the relevant authorities to take appropriate action against those found responsible.”
Players’ representatives echoed that sentiment. The Cricketers’ Welfare Association of Bangladesh called for “strict action” while noting the wider implications for athlete safety. Privately, a few senior players have expressed concern that a similar episode could happen to anyone travelling without team security on a domestic assignment.
Why does this matter beyond one distressing night? Elite cricketers in Bangladesh often move between domestic and international duty with minimal security detail, especially when not on official BCB travel. Former national coach Khaled Mahmud believes the system now faces a credibility test. “If a centrally-contracted player can be taken off the road like that, what faith will younger cricketers or even ordinary citizens have?” he asked.
Nayeem’s immediate cricketing future includes a place in Bangladesh’s 15-man squad for the solitary Test in Zimbabwe later this month. Selectors see him as an attacking option on slow pitches, and his economy rate in domestic first-class cricket has improved this season. Whether the alleged assault affects his mental readiness remains to be seen, but team management expect him to rejoin training next week.
Bangladesh Police say an internal inquiry is under way. Past investigations have sometimes stalled; this time there is public pressure, a national athlete at the centre, and the BCB watching closely. Until findings emerge, Nayeem has chosen to keep a low profile. Friends say he is sore but physically unharmed.
For now, the off-spinner’s main request stands: “I want a fair investigation and justice over the entire incident.”
