Dhaka Metropolitan Police temporarily suspended inspector, operations, Md Arshad Hossain who covered the mouth of a student protester during the quota reforms movement near the Supreme Court area.

The suspension order was issued on Sunday by the DMP commissioner Md Mainul Hasan.

The incident occurred on July 31 during the ‘March for Justice’ programme. Amid the protests, Arshad Hossain was filmed forcibly covering the mouth of Nahidul Islam, a political science student from Dhaka’s New Model Degree College. The footage quickly went viral on social media, sparking widespread criticism.

In response, the DMP acknowledged that inspector Arshad’s unprofessional conduct harmed the image of the police. His actions were deemed inappropriate for a disciplined member of the police, leading to his suspension.

In addition to the mouth-covering incident, Arshad has faced several other allegations. He was accused of labelling the protesting students as members of the Jamaat-e-Islami’s student wing, Shibir. A video of him making these claims also circulated on social media, further inflaming the situation.