Vulgar display of power

Law enforcers roughed up and detained two activists from a street in the capital in the early hours of yesterday, allegedly for drawing graffiti against rape.

Jahar Lal  Roy, president of Bangladesh Chhatra Union's (BCU) metropolitan unit; and Sadaat Mahmood, education and research affairs secretary, alleged that they were hit in police custody.

"Protesting rape, two  fellow activists of ours were drawing graffiti on a wall in front of Viqarunnisa Noon School at night. Around 2am, a team of patrol police arrived there and asked them to stop," said  Anik Roy, president of Chhatra Union, quoting their activists.

A video filmed on his phone by an activist at the time shows Sadaat blaming law enforcers and Chhatra League activists for "ruining" youth and women of the country.

A police official was also seen threatening the video-recording activist of seizing the phone, saying she was shooting without permission. When Sadaat sarcastically retorted, "You rather seize me," the police personnel grabbed him by the neck and started pushing him towards the car.

Another police official was heard saying, "Beat him, pick him up into the car."

BCU activists yelled that the police has no right to assault them physically, and later the police officials were seen dragging the two activists towards police van and picked them up eventually.

The video did the rounds on social media all day yesterday, drawing staunch criticism from all quarters.

"Police  members punched, kicked and beat the duo inside custody, but later were  forced to release them after BCU activists laid siege to the police  station," Anik told this newspaper.

BCU leaders and activists demonstrated in different places of the  country and also brought out a procession from the Jatiya Press Club area  yesterday protesting the incident.

Contacted,  Sheikh Muhammad Shamim, assistant commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan  Police (Ramna zone), said, "Police officials asked the two activists if  they had taken permission from the authorities since it was wall of a  school. They were taken to police station after they locked into an  altercation with the police official. The police officials relased the  duo later after taking an undertaking."

He also denied the allegation of torturing the duo inside custody or beating them up at the spot.