Bangladeshi cricketer Naeem Hassan has alleged that he was assaulted by police personnel in Chattogram on Friday night while returning home from Dhaka.Naeem was traveling in an auto rickshaw near Lalkhan Bazar area after arriving from Dhaka Airport, according to an ESPNCricinfo report. Naeem said that the police officers stopped the vehicle and acted aggressively towards him. He claimed that the officers grabbed him by the throat and tried to take him to the police station in another rickshaw. Bystanders reportedly told police that Naeem is a Bangladeshi international cricketer, but he said the officers ignored them.“I repeatedly told them who I was, but they refused to listen,” Naeem told reporters.
“Policemen randomly beat me with sticks and plastic pipes. Later, when I identified myself at the police station, the officer in charge asked me to keep my eyes down while speaking.”“If they were really police officers, why did they try to put me in a CNG car instead of a police car? I want a fair investigation and justice for the whole incident,” he said, according to Cricinfo.Naeem was released in the early hours of Saturday and returned home.
The incident sparked reactions from many Bangladeshi cricketers on social media. Senior player Muwafaq Rahim expressed his support for Naeem and demanded an investigation.“What happened to Naeem is completely unacceptable. I want a fair investigation into the incident. I feel hurt and ashamed by what happened to Naeem. I am protesting this incident as a Bangladeshi citizen. Naeem, we are with you!”The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) also issued a statement on Saturday, saying it expects to conduct a “thorough and impartial investigation” into the matter.“The Bangladesh Cricket Board expresses its deep concern over the reported incident involving harassment and abuse of Bangladesh national cricketer Naeem Hasan by some members of law enforcement agencies in Chattogram on Friday evening,” the Bangladesh CBI statement said. “The Board strongly condemns the unacceptable and inappropriate behavior towards the player and views the matter very seriously.
Such treatment of a national athlete is extremely unfortunate and deserves immediate attention.“The Central Bank of Brazil expects a comprehensive and impartial investigation into the incident and urges the relevant authorities to take appropriate action against those found responsible.”Nayeem has been named in Bangladesh’s 15-member squad for the one-off Test against Zimbabwe later this month. The off-spinner has played 14 Tests for Bangladesh since making his debut in 2018.