Some Pahela Baishakh molesters arrested, minister tells House

Some who sexually assaulted women during the Bangla New Year celebration at Dhaka University have been ‘nabbed’, says the State Minister for Home Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal.

But police are yet to make any announcement on the arrests.

“The IGP announced rewards for those identified. Some of them have been nabbed...the rest will be arrested,” Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal told Parliament on Monday replying to lawmakers’ query.

A group of youths sexually harassed women on Dhaka University campus during the Pahela Baishakh celebrations on Apr 14.

Several people, including Chhatra Union’s Dhaka University unit chief Liton Nandi, were injured while trying to stop them.

Four of the culprits were allegedly caught and handed over to police, who later released them.

Police admitted of letting them go and blamed it on an officer, who was later removed from the police station.

Police and the university authorities had been criticised as the perpetrators remained at large even a month after the incident.

Then on May 17, police spotted eight of the culprits while reviewing CCTV footage and announced a Tk 100,000 reward for anyone helping to nab them.The High Court also ordered the government to inform it about the progress in the case.
 
On May 19, the Inspector General of Police filed a report with the court, but its contents were not made available to the media.