Shahbagh police sub-inspector removed over sexual assaults at DU on Baishakh celebrations

An officer of Shahbagh police station has been removed after incidents of sexual assaults on women at the TSC area on Dhaka University campus on Apr 14.

Sub-inspector Ashraful Alam, who was in charge of the area when the incidents happened, was withdrawn and attached to the police lines on Apr 15, said Shahbagh police OC Sirajul Islam.

“Witnesses said one of those involved in the assaults was handed over to him, but Ashraful (Islam) said no one was handed to him. That’s why he has been closed,” he told bdnews24.com on Sunday.

Police are looking into allegations that Ashraful was negligent in performing his duty at that time, said OC Islam.

But he declined to comment further. “I do not want to talk anymore on this issue.”

Amid the Bengali New Year celebrations on Tuesday, a group of men sexually assaulted some women several times in an organised way at Suhrawardy Udyan’s main entrance, adjacent to the TSC area.

Chhatra Union’s DU chapter chief Liton Nandi broke his right arm while trying to save one of the women from the offenders.

The role of police during the incident has been criticised. Many alleged that police personnel deputed at that spot did not stop those responsible for the assault.

Student leader Nandi blamed police for letting off four of the culprits after they were handed to them.

“Chhatra Union DU unit General Secretary Tuhin Kanti Das and others handed over two of the culprits to a police officer, whose name badge they said read Ashraf.

“Later two more (culprits) were handed to police, but we heard they were released afterwards,” Nandi told bdnews24.com.

Meanwhile, apart from a three-member body to probe the assaults, police have started another inquiry into allegations of negligence of duty against its personnel.

A similar probe was opened looking in to negligence of police personnel after the attack on writer-blogger Avijit Roy and his wife at the same area on Feb 27.

Roy died after being rushed to the hospital while his wife sustained severe injuries when a group of assailants hacked them at the heart of the Dhaka University campus.

That internal investigation had found ‘no negligence’ of the policemen on duty. But the enquiry blamed a ‘lack in coordination’.

Police are yet to nab any of those involved in Tuesday's sexual assaults amid widespread protests across Bangladesh.

The CCTV video footage of the area during the Baishakh celebrations has marked a group of men sexually assaulting women.

Ekattor TV ran a report on Saturday after analysing the one-hour-long footage captured by close circuit television cameras that were installed by police.

The footage shows a bearded man, donning a white Panjabi, along with 10 to 12 others, in similar outfits, as those involved in the assaults.

But these people could not be identified.

Police’s Detective Branch spokesman Monirul Islam on Saturday told bdnews24.com that their investigation was yet to identify those involved in the sexual assaults.

Meanwhile, the law enforces has requested all to provide information on the culprits if someone has any.

Islam said that no victim had made any complaint to the police.

“Police have filed a case at the Shahbagh police station. We are trying to identify those responsible for the incident by seeing the video footages. They will be arrested once they are spotted,” he said.