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Authorities say failure to act on victims' complaints leads to disciplinary action
Published : 22 Feb 2025, 03:11 AM
Baraigram Police Station chief Sirajul Islam has been withdrawn following an incident of robbery and sexual assault on a Unique Road Royals bus travelling from Dhaka to Rajshahi.
Officer-in-charge, or OC Sirajul was attached to Natore police lines on Friday afternoon, Baraigram Police Station Inspector (Investigation) Md Mahabubur Rahman confirmed.
Rajshahi Range Deputy Inspector General Mohammad Shahjahan said, "The victims did not receive assistance when they approached the police station following the robbery and sexual assault on the bus, which is why he [the OC] has been removed."
The process of transferring responsibilities to a new IC is under way, said Inspector Mahabubur.
Earlier, on Monday night, accusations of robbery and “sexual assault” of two female passengers were raised regarding a Unique Road Royals bus.
Following the incident, the bus driver, supervisor, and assistant were arrested by Baraigram police on Tuesday noon on suspicion of involvement.
That day, in response to a question, OC Sirajul told bdnews24.com: “The passengers say this happened in Tangail, so we cannot file a case at Baraigram Police Station.
“Also, the arrested persons are suspected by the passengers to be involved in the incident.”
"The arrestees will be sent to court under Section 54 [on Wednesday] morning.
“Victims have been advised to file written complaints at Mirzapur Police Station. If complaints are filed there, the arrestees will be transferred there," he added.
Later, the driver Babul Ali, 30, supervisor Sumon Islam, 33, and assistant Mahbub Alam, 28 were shown arrested and sent to court on Wednesday afternoon.
In the evening, Judicial Magistrate Judge Touhidur Rahman Sumon granted them bail after a hearing, according to Court Inspector Mostafa Kamal.
Since the case was under Section 54 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and the charges against the accused were not specific, the court granted them bail, he said.
Meanwhile, after news of the robbery and sexual assault on the moving bus spread, it sparked widespread debate and criticism across the country.
Victims also claimed that when the incident was reported to Mirzapur Police Station on the night of the incident, no action was taken.
Three days later, a case was filed at Mirzapur Police Station on Friday afternoon.
Omar Ali, a passenger from Natore’s Baraigram, filed the case around noon on Friday, said station chief Md Mosharof Hossain.
According to the case details, the bus left Dhaka’s Gabtoli at 11pm on Monday.
Near Kaliakair in Gazipur, a group of eight to nine robbers boarded the bus, posing as passengers, and took over the vehicle at gunpoint.
They then forced the driver to drive towards Tangail.
Around 1:45am, near Sohagpara in Mirzapur, the robbers began looting passengers, threatening them with weapons.
They took cash and gold jewellery before sexually assaulting female passengers while keeping the bus in motion for nearly three hours.
The case also states that after the robbers left, the driver refused to continue the journey.
Under passenger pressure, he eventually resumed driving.
Suspecting staff involvement, passengers took the bus to Baraigram Police Station at 11am on Tuesday.
