Comilla Police Chief Clashes With JCD Leader Over Arrests

A sharp verbal altercation erupted between the Superintendent of Police (SP) in Comilla, Md Anisuzzaman, and a local student political leader during an official discussion session organised to mark the July Martyrs’ Day. Multiple video clips capturing the heated exchange surfaced on the social media platform Facebook, triggering widespread debate across the district.

During the argument, the Comilla police chief directed sharp remarks at Fakhrul Islam, the former president of the City unit of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD), the student wing of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). SP Anisuzzaman stated that the official platform was not a political stage, claiming that he himself had been involved with Chhatra Dal in Dhaka long before the politician. He further remarked that individuals should not label anyone they dislike as a fascist and clarified that arrests in criminal cases would be executed strictly in accordance with the law.

Tensions Over Security Grievances at the Secretariat

The incident transpired at the Comilla Deputy Commissioner’s office during a commemorative seminar chaired by Deputy Commissioner Rosey Akter. The high-profile assembly was attended by the Chairman of the Comilla Development Authority, Udbatul Bari, the Administrator of Comilla City Corporation, Yusuf Molla, and the General Secretary of Comilla South District BNP, Ashiqur Rahman Mahmud Wasim, alongside various political figures, administrative officials, and family members of those killed or injured in the July uprising.

The dispute began after the father of Jishan, a youth from Laksam who was killed in Dhaka during the July mass uprising, stood up to express severe anxiety over his personal safety. He alleged that activists from the Bangladesh Chhatra League and Jubo League—the student and youth wings of the Awami League—had been issuing death threats against him.

Building upon this public grievance, the JCD leader, Fakhrul Islam, directly confronted the police chief. He claimed that fascists had resurfaced in Comilla following the SP’s arrival and accused the police of failing to arrest them or act upon credible information provided by the public. Islam demanded the immediate arrest of those threatening Jishan’s father.

In response, SP Md Anisuzzaman noted that Jishan’s death had occurred in Dhaka, where the primary case was officially registered. He urged speakers to rely on objective evidence rather than delivering politically charged speeches, adding that making sweeping institutional allegations without solid data at a solemn memorial event was entirely inappropriate.

Accusations of Regulatory Lapses and Political Past

Following the widespread circulation of the video clips, SP Anisuzzaman stated that a fragmented portion of his remarks was being shared out of context on social media. He emphasised that the police force is currently striving to restore public confidence through strict professionalism, and lamented that an attempt was made to embroil the police in controversy during a state memorial event.

Addressing his self-proclaimed past affiliation with the JCD, the SP—who assumed charge of Comilla district on 30 November last year—clarified that he was merely citing his student days as a historical example and insisted that he has maintained absolute professional neutrality since joining the civil service. The police chief further alleged that the JCD leader had been involved in illicit financial exploitation under the guise of the July uprising cases, and suggested that the sudden hostility arose because police intervention had blocked those corrupt opportunities.

Denying the allegations completely, Fakhrul Islam called the police chief’s claims entirely baseless, asserting that if any such evidence existed, legal actions would have been instituted against him long ago.