Mohamed Saeed says he will end his hunger strike only after receiving assurances that alleged harassment by Ahmed Fairish will stop and that cases filed against him will be reviewed and acted upon.

Saeed, head of Marketing and Strategy at Bank of Maldives, began the strike yesterday, saying he had exhausted other avenues to address what he described as persistent harassment of his family and neighbors.

Speaking to Mihaaru News today, Saeed said incidents involving Fairish in the Henveiru neighbourhood, particularly around Kashimaa Hingun and Dhoohimeri Magu, had continued for about a year and a half. He said complaints had been lodged with police over alleged harassment of pedestrians and motorists.

However, when he recently sought updates on the complaints, he discovered that the cases had been closed, he said.

“We have been filing a case for one and half years. When we come to the police and look into the case, the case has been filed. We didn’t know when the case was filed,” Saeed said.

He added that an investigating officer had not responded to his calls or messages.

Saeed said he began the strike because he believed the authorities had failed to address the complaints. He has been staying near Henveiru Police Station, at the Adam Haleem Building, since last night.

Saeed said he had gone without food for about 36 hours, having last eaten dinner on Friday night.

Home Minister Ali Ihusan met Saeed after the strike began. According to Saeed, the minister said medical assessments had found Fairish mentally fit and that the matter should therefore be referred to the Prosecutor General.

Saeed said Minister Ihusan had promised to discuss the case with the Prosecutor General and had provided updates during the morning.

“I expect the family and the public to get an answer within an hour,” Saeed said.

He stressed that his protest was not solely about his own family, saying comments on his Facebook post suggested that other people had also experienced alleged harassment by Fairish.

Videos circulating online appear to show Farish shouting at people and throwing objects. Saeed also alleged that Fairish had behaved inappropriately in public.

Police said yesterday that Fairish had been arrested on several occasions, reportedly around 30 times.

Police arrested Fairish again yesterday after Saeed’s hunger strike attracted public attention. Officers subsequently asked Saeed to end his protest, but he said he lacked confidence that the matter would be resolved and would continue the strike.