Policeman apologises to demonstrating students at Farmgate

A policeman was forced to apologise to demonstrating students for misbehaving with them at the Farmgate area on Thursday.

The students who blocked the Farmgate intersection protesting against the death of Notre Dame College student Naim Hasan stopped a vehicle of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) and wanted to see its papers. A policeman told the students that their uniform and their gun themselves are licences. At one point of verbal spat, a policeman misbehaved with the demonstrating students.

The incident happened on Thursday afternoon. Students of different educational institutions blocked the Farmgate intersection demanding justice over Naim’s death, enforcement of half fare in buses and safe roads.

They also were checking documents of the private vehicles including drivers licences. If discrepancies were found, the vehicle was stopped. No ambulance, however, was intercepted.

In the afternoon, the students stopped the police vehicle and asked its driver to show documents.

The students alleged that the policeman failed to show proper documents and said the police uniform is the licence. Another policeman retorted that their guns are their licences. At one point, a policeman named Imran verbally abused the students.

The demonstrating students got enraged and demanded that the policeman responsible apologise.

One policeman told students that the policeman who used the abusive words was not in the vehicle. The students later found that the policeman was sitting in the vehicle.

At one stage, Tejgaon zone police's additional deputy commissioner (ADC) Rubaiyat Zaman came to the scene and listened to the demonstrating students.

The cop Imran later came in front of the demonstrating students and said, “I misbehaved with you and I’m sorry.”

The demonstrators then let the police vehicle go.

Students demonstrated in various parts of Dhaka on Thursday over the death of a student of Notre Dame College, Naim Hasan, who was run over by a garbage truck of Dhaka South City Corporation on Wednesday.