Mahadi Hasan, the joint secretary of the district branch of the anti-discrimination student movement in Habiganj, has alleged that members of a student group attacked him over a Facebook post. Fearing for his safety, he took refuge at the Habiganj Sadar police station. The incident reportedly occurred in front of Brindaban Government College on Wednesday afternoon.
However, the student group has denied the allegations, claiming that Mahadi Hasan is spreading false information to increase his own importance. The police have also stated that they have not found any evidence to support the allegations.
This is not the first time Mahadi Hasan has made controversial statements. Earlier this year, he threatened the officer-in-charge of Shayestaganj police station, claiming that he had set fire to Baniyachong police station and set an SI on fire. This video went viral and brought him into the limelight.
According to Mahadi Hasan, the recent incident occurred due to a political status he posted on his Facebook account, in which he criticized former President Ziaur Rahman and praised former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia. He claims that some leaders and activists of the district student group did not take this well.
Mahadi Hasan went live on Facebook, claiming that he was attacked while returning home on an easybike after taking a driving license test at the BRTA office. The video shows another person with him on the easybike. They went to the Habiganj Sadar Model police station and spoke to the police.
Police sources say that when Mahadi went to the police station, the officer-in-charge (OC) was not present. Mahadi informed the duty officer about the alleged attack. The duty officer, along with an SI, went to the police station gate but found no one. Mahadi stayed at the police station from 2 pm to 3 pm. The OC arrived at the police station around 2:30 pm and Mahadi informed him about the incident.
The district student group has denied Mahadi Hasan's allegations. The group's district president, Rajib Ahmed, told Prothom Alo that no such incident occurred. He accused Mahadi Hasan of spreading false information to increase his own importance. He also questioned why Mahadi did not capture the scene of the alleged attack in his live video, suggesting that the entire incident was staged.
Habiganj Sadar police station OC Zahid Hossain told Prothom Alo that the police have investigated the matter based on Mahadi Hasan's information. They have checked the CCTV footage of the incident site and the surrounding area but have not found any evidence to support the allegations. They have also spoken to the locals in the area, who have not reported seeing any such incident. However, the OC said that if Mahadi Hasan files a written complaint, the police will conduct a further investigation.
