Pahela Baishakh sexual assault: Detectives file final report

Detectives today submitted the final report in the Pahela Baishakh sexual harassment case saying none of the offenders could be identified or arrested in the incident took place earlier this year.

Dipak Kumar Das, a sub-inspector of the Detective Branch of police, who headed the investigation into the case, filed the report with the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court of Dhaka this afternoon.

The judge of the Tribunal for Prevention of Women and Children Repression will now decide whether the report will be accepted. The tribunal will hold a hearing on the report when it returns from the winter vacation which will end on January 2.

“We have submitted the final report as we could not identify or arrest any of the offenders,” the investigation officer of the case mentioned in the report.

The joyous celebration of the Bangalee's biggest festival -- Pahela Baishakh -- was tainted by incidents of sexual assault on women on the Dhaka University campus on the evening of April 14 this year, sparking widespread public outrage.

Witnesses said some 30 to 40 rowdy youths assaulted and sexually harassed around 20 women for about one hour at the Suhrawardy Udyan gate near the TSC area around 6:00pm.

They alleged that although law enforcers were stationed only 20 yards from the spot, they did nothing to rescue the women or arrest those who launched the sexual assault.

Even one day after the incident, police could not even identify the culprits, let alone arrest them.

However, Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mohammad Asaduzzaman Miah claimed no incident of sexual assault took place on the campus on Tuesday. He also claimed police did not allow any outsider in the campus area.

He said a female student had gone to the TSC area along with her friend when a group of students "teased" her and another group protested the incident.

He also said the police were scrutinising footage of the CCTV cameras installed in the campus area. "It would take us some time since the recorded footage is around 48 hours long."

DMP installed around 19 CCTV cameras in the Shahbagh area with three to four cameras positioned right around the spot, said Sirajul Islam, officer-in-charge of Shahbagh Police Station.

WITNESS' ACCOUNT

Contradicting the DMP commissioner, witnesses gave a vivid description of the assault.

Liton Nandi, president of Bangladesh Chhatra Union's DU unit, said a group of youths tore off almost the whole of a 25-year-old woman's clothes in front of the Suhrawardy Udyan gate.

"As soon as we rescued her, we saw several youths assault another woman in front of her husband and child. We came under attack as we tried to stop them," he told The Daily Star.

The attack left Nandi's right arm broken.

Another activist of the party, Amit Dey, said law enforcers played the role of bystanders.

"When we sought help from a few policemen standing 20 yards from the spot, they said that the area was beyond their jurisdiction,” said Amit who also came under attack by the youths and had his fingers fractured.

Amit along with five of his fellow activists had tried to save a group of women aged between 25-30 years from the rowdy youths.

"The youths were divided into three groups and each group had 10-12 of them. People everywhere around were blowing vuvuzela so loudly that nobody could hear the victims' cry for help," he said, adding thousands of people were milling around the area, making it difficult for them to prevent the attackers.

They rescued a 10-year-old minor girl from the spot.

"Her dress was torn. I was shocked to see there were bite marks on her body. She was seriously injured," he said. "The girl came with her elder brother and mother. Her brother was beaten by one group while another took the mother away."

Masudur Rahman, another Chhatra Union activist, said they could not recognise anybody due to the lack of light at dusk.

Amit and Masud said their group caught five of the offenders and handed them over to the police. When they inquired about them two hours later, police told them that all of them had been released. Of the five, two were DU students.

Contacted, Sirajul Islam, said when they went to the place after hearing about the incident, they did not find anyone involved in the assault.

"None came to us with any complaint [of sexual harassment]," he said.