Cumilla University (CoU) students detained three individuals, including a police officer, on suspicion of being muggers after they intercepted and searched two students in Cumilla city on Thursday evening.
The incident was subsequently resolved following a joint meeting involving the university administration, police officials, teachers, students, and journalists.
The incident took place around 7:30pm near the Police Line and Government Women’s College area.
Siam and Orpo, two students of the 2023–24 academic session from the Department of Statistics, were returning to campus after tuition.
As they were heading through an alley in the Racecourse area to catch the university bus, three men intercepted them and searched their pockets while claiming to be police officers.
When the students asked for official identification, the men failed to present ID cards and instead showed a walkie-talkie and handcuffs, raising suspicions that they were muggers or fake police officers.
Student Siam stated that one of the men misbehaved with them and none of the three could prove their identities.
Suspecting foul play, the students forcibly boarded the three men onto a university bus and brought them to the campus.
The three detained individuals were identified as Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Shyamal Saha of Cumilla Kotwali Model Police Station, Constable Hanif, and police source Jahid.
ASI Shyamal Saha claimed that they had merely asked for the students’ identities and released them with regrets once their CoU student status was known.
He stated that they showed the walkie-talkie and handcuffs when asked for ID and suggested contacting duty officers, adding that students forcibly brought them to campus as he tried to leave.
The detainees were taken to the CoU Proctor’s office, where both parties presented their accounts.
CoU Proctor Professor Dr Mohammad Shahadat Hossain stated that the police personnel failed to show ID cards during the search, a fact acknowledged by Kotwali police authorities.
He noted that both sides had shortcomings—the police for not carrying ID cards and the students for forcibly picking them up instead of informing the authorities or police—confirming that a logical resolution was reached and accepted by both sides.
Additionally, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Mostayin Billah Ferdous of Cumilla Sadar Dakshin Model Police Station stated that both sides made mistakes, noting that the issue could have been resolved on the spot by calling 999 or police authorities.
He emphasised that taking them on a bus was unacceptable and stressed the need to move past the post-August 5 mob culture.
