Viral Video Shows Anti-Hasina Student Leaders Threatening Police, Boasting of Past Violence in Bangladesh

A viral video circulating from inside a police station in eastern Habiganj district has sparked outrage after leaders of an anti-government student movement were seen confronting police officers, threatening enforcement personnel and openly referring to past violent acts including arson and the killing of a police officer.

The footage, recorded at Shayestaganj Police Station, shows leaders of the Students Against Discrimination (SAD) movement confronting the officer-in-charge over the detention of Enamul Hasan Nayan, a local activist previously affiliated with a now banned student organisation. The leaders demanded his release and used the encounter to invoke chilling memories of violent episodes from the country’s recent past.

In the video, Mahdi Hasan, general secretary of the SAD’s Habiganj unit, is seen making bold statements while seated inside the police station, directly addressing police personnel. He referenced August 2024 unrest, saying that they had once burnt down the Baniachong Police Station and set Sub-Inspector Santosh Chowdhury on fire, in a dramatic and unsettling claim about the movement’s earlier actions.

The statements drew immediate attention on social media, where users reacted with shock at the apparent confidence of the student leaders and their claims of violence committed during protests that toppled the government of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina last year. The video raised serious questions about law enforcement’s ability to maintain order and whether political and protest movements have gained undue influence over security institutions.

Police sources confirmed that Hasan had been detained late Thursday night on suspicion of involvement with the now-proscribed student organisation. His detention drew a group of SAD activists to the police station, where tensions escalated into a confrontation captured on video.

After a tense standoff, Habiganj police officials mediated with the student leaders, and Nayan was released later Friday afternoon, according to law enforcement personnel. Police said they found no evidence linking him to criminal activity during questioning.

The video’s spread has reignited debate about the state of law and order in Bangladesh, especially as the country prepares for crucial elections in February. Analysts say the incident highlights deeper challenges facing the interim administration, with critics warning of a troubling climate of impunity in parts of the nation’s political landscape