Police in Magura have arrested Naimuzzaman Nayan, a former general secretary of the Magura Sadar upazila unit of Chhatra Dal, over allegations that he publicly assaulted a police officer following a dispute about giving way to a microbus.
The incident took place on Friday (28 August) in the microbus stand area of Magura town. A video of the confrontation, which later circulated widely on social media, shows Nayan allegedly slapping police constable Imran Hossain while two other police officers were present.
Imran, who was on duty at the control room of the Magura Superintendent of Police’s office, filed a case with Magura Sadar Police Station at around 8pm on Saturday (29 August). According to police, four named individuals, including Nayan, have been accused in the case, along with another 10 to 15 unidentified people.
The incident reportedly began after a disagreement over traffic movement. Nayan, who is also the president of the Magura Microbus Owners’ Association, allegedly approached Imran while the police officer was sitting on his motorcycle near the microbus stand.
A one-minute-23-second video of the incident shows Nayan approaching Imran and allegedly slapping him twice while he remained seated on the motorcycle. The footage also shows Nayan recording the incident on his own mobile phone.
Before the alleged assault, Nayan reportedly called people from the surrounding microbus stand area to the scene and took the keys of Imran’s motorcycle. At that point, Assistant Sub-Inspectors Shariful and Masud of Magura Sadar Police Station, who happened to be present, identified themselves as police officers and objected to the removal of the keys.
The situation then became heated. Zakir Hossain, the organisational secretary of Ward 8 of Magura municipality unit of BNP, who was accompanying Nayan, reportedly became involved in a verbal confrontation with the two assistant sub-inspectors. During the dispute, Nayan allegedly slapped Imran twice.
Police took Nayan to Sadar Police Station on Friday evening after receiving information about the incident. He was subsequently released from the station after several political leaders, including Magura municipal BNP president Masud Hasan Khan Kizil, reportedly arrived there.
The matter gained wider attention after the video spread across social media. Police detained Nayan again on Saturday afternoon and questioned him at the police station before formally arresting him in connection with the case.
Before his detention, Nayan gave his own account of the incident. He said he had become stuck in traffic near the Kachabazar area of Dhaka Road while returning home after completing contracting work. According to him, he repeatedly sounded his horn at the police officer in front of him but was not given way.
Nayan said an argument followed and alleged that the police officer used offensive language towards him. He claimed that he took the motorcycle key and slapped the officer once in response.
Police, however, have proceeded with the case based on the complaint filed by Imran. The allegations will now be examined through the legal process and investigation.
Magura Sadar Police Station officer-in-charge Abdullah Al Mamun confirmed Nayan’s arrest. He said Nayan would be produced before a court on Sunday and that police operations were continuing to arrest the other accused in the case.
