Police ‘in search of’ youth who hurled bottle at Advisor Mahfuj

Police are on the hunt for the youth who hurled a plastic water bottle at Information Advisor Mahfuj Alam while he was addressing the protesting students of Jagannath University.

Masud Alam, deputy commissioner of Ramna police, said: "We are scanning and trying to identify the youth through video footage."

Nasirul Islam, joint commissioner of police’s Detective Branch (DB), said they were also working on it.

“We are analysing the video footage. Action will be taken following the discovery of the youth involved in the incident.”

On Wednesday night, Mahfuj had arrived at Karail intersection to “convince and send back” the protesting students of the university students, who had been on a sit-in demonstration at the scene since Wednesday afternoon to press home their three-point list of demands.

While addressing them around 10am, a plastic bottle flew in from the crowd.

Earlier, the protesters complained to the advisor that police had attacked the students.

After being hit on the head, Mahfuj said: "You have justified the position of police by your misdeeds.”

A large contingent of police was present during the incident, but they took no immediate action.

However, their “promptness” to identify the youth came after the video of the incident went viral amid criticism from several NCP leaders.

Mahfuj, however, did not give any assurance regarding the demands pressed by the Jagannath University students and teachers amid the embarrassing incident. The government, however, is “considering” their demands, he said.