Joynal Abedin Khan :Dhaka University (DU) authorities and Police have been playing ‘hide and seek game’ over sexual harassment on women during the Pahel Baishakh celebrations near the main gate of Suhrawardi Udyan at Teacher-Student Center (TSC) on the university campus on April 14, Liton Nandi, President of Chhatra Union of the university chapter and eyewitness of the incident told the New Nation on Monday evening. “The university authorities and police are also trying to divert the incident in a bid to save the culprits,” he alleged.He expressed concern as there is no progress in identifying the criminals by the law enforcers through CCTV. “We have demanded the authorities concerned to bring the offenders to book immediately,” the student leader said. He claimed that Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Professor AAMS Arefin Siddique, Proctor of DU Professor M Amzad Ali and police administration have called already the incident as an isolated matter which is shameful to the nation. The authorities concerned are trying to divert the incidents of sexual assaults to other direction, he said.”Some 20 to 30 rowdy youths sexually harassed around 20 women for about an hour on the day. The attackers were honking vuvuzelas during the assaults to suppress the victims. At least three police men were standing at 20 yards distance” he added. “We arrested five people from the spot and handed over them to the police. But the culprits were released from the police station. Even police denied the detention of the offenders,” the student leader alleged.Liton Nandai said that if the offenders get release from police such as way then people will loss faithin the police. “We have request the authorities concerned to arrest the culprits immediately after filtering the CCTV footage going beyond political identities,” the Chhatra Union President said. The state cannot avoid the responsibility of the incidents, he said. They will also submit a memorandum along with six-point demand to the home ministry today (Tuesday), Nandi said. Liton Nandi replied in a query, police and university authorities have already formed different probe committees over the incident, but they may turn out to be some eyewash committees.He replied another query saying police had asked him what he had witnessed at the university campus on that day.Holding the university proctor responsible for the incidents, he said: “The proctor did not take any action against previous incidents of sexual assaults that resulted the repetition of such incidents.”They accused Proctor Amzad Ali of concealing information, negligence in discharging his duties which holding others responsible for the incident to avoid his own responsibility, he said. He demanded the resignation the proctor terming him a ‘liar’. He said they would begin movement to unseat the vice chancellor if their ultimatum of proctor’s resignation and arrest of the culprits are not met today morning. Bangladesh Chhatra Union DU unit President Liton Nandi received severe injuries while trying to rescue a woman near the TSC on the day, sources said. Amjad Ali, however, said police detained and then freed a youth after taking his statement regarding the assault.Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner (DMP) Asaduzzaman Miah yesterday said: “After analysing the two-hour long CCTV footage, we did not find any acute sexual harassment at the Pahela Baishakh event. It was just a mere scuffle.”DMP boss criticised the media for creating misgiving about police holding law enforcers responsible for the incident.Meanwhile, confusion runsover the fate of Shahbagh Sub-Inspector Shamsul Alam as he was blamed for negligence of duty. Shahbagh OC Sirajul Islam earlier said the SI had been closed.
