3 held over assault on Ruet teacher

Police have arrested three alleged stalkers who assaulted a teacher of Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology (Ruet) for protesting sexual harassment of his wife ten days ago.

The arrestees are Bokul Ahmed, 19, of Mollapara, Ripon Mandal, 18, of Kadirganj and Shahanur Hossain Khokon, 19, of Alir Mor area in Rajshahi city, said Nibaron Chandra Burman, officer-in-charge (OC) of Boalia Police Station.

A joint team of the police station and Detective Branch (DB) of police detained Shahanur from Bornali intersection yesterday afternoon, our Rajshahi correspondent reports quoting the OC today.

Following his statement, they arrested the two others yesterday evening. Later in the night, the three were made face-to-face with the Ruet teacher who identified his attackers, the police official said.

The three persons later were shown arrested in connection with the assault and they will be produced before court today, added the OC.

On August 10, Md Rashidul Islam, an assistant professor of the department of Electrical and Electric Engineering at Ruet made the allegation that his wife had been stalked and later he was attacked by the stalkers for protesting it through a social media post.

On August 16, Rashidul's wife filed a case with the police station accusing unnamed stalkers.

Among the three, Bokul is an athlete while Ripon and Shahanur are Taikando players, said Abdullah Al Mamun, deputy commissioner (DB) of Rajshahi Metropolitan Police (RMP).

During interrogation, the arrestees told police that they were returning home with three other women athletes during the incident on the day, Mamun said.

At the same time, the teacher and his wife were also passing nearby.

When Rashidul Islam's wife accused them of following her, they challenged her, the arrestees said.

The arrestees admitted that they attacked Rashidul as they were provoked by him.

In her complaint filed with the police station, Rashidul’s wife alleged that Bakul, one of the attackers pushed her. The attackers swooped on Rashidul and beat him up in front of Sona dighi mosque as he protested the stalking.