Assaulting A Biker: Cop closed as video goes viral

A traffic sergeant was closed yesterday after a video clip of him assaulting a biker of a ride-hailing service in Hatirjheel area went viral.

Sergeant Sohel Rana Chowdhury of Rampura Traffic Zone was closed to the Deputy Commissioner's office of Traffic East Division.

“I have watched the video. He has been closed over the misconduct,” AHM Kamruzzaman, deputy commissioner (Traffic East Division) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, told The Daily Star.

He said he had spoken to the victim over phone and urged him to file a complaint.

Sohel joined as a traffic sergeant in 2011 and in February last, he was awarded for filing the most traffic rules violation cases in the east division of DMP.

He stopped Shahin Ahmed's bike yesterday morning. Shahin's pillion rider was holding a wet helmet instead of putting it on.

In a Facebook post, Shahin said, “… the traffic sergeant stopped us near the police box, checked all related documents, but fined me for carrying a passenger without a helmet.

“As I protested, he started slapping and punching me. At one point, he took me inside the police box and beat me up there too … ,” Shahin alleged in the post.

Talking to The Daily Star, traffic sergeant Sohel claimed that Shahin first hurled abuse at him and had shoved him.

“Then I lost my temper… ,” Sohel said, adding that the video shot by another biker did not show the complete picture.

The video made rounds in Facebook, drawing flak from netizens.

Many criticised the sergeant for “his unprofessional demeanour” and demanded his punishment.