Staff Reporter :
The court has directed the newly formed investigating agency-Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI)– to re-investigate the case filed in connection with sexual assaults on women during Bengali New Year celebrations on Dhaka University campus last year.
Jayasree Samaddar, judge of the Dhaka’s Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-3, passed the order on Tuesday after accepting the no-confidence (naraji) petition of special public prosecutor Mahmuda Akhter.
The court also asked the PBI to submit the report by March 23. The court’s order came following the police probe report failed to identify any of the culprits in their final report submitted in December last.
Mahmuda Akhter said that that they applied for re-investigation, by special agency as the investigation would not be proper if police does it. Another agency should be given charge. The court did it.
Earlier on January 28, Detective Branch (DB) of police also submitted an appeal petition to the court, seeking reopening of the case following the arrest of a suspect, Mohammad Kamal, 35, who was arrested from city’s Chawkbazar on January 27. The court placed Kamal on a two-day remand.
A group of youths assaulted and sexually harassed several women at Suhrawardy Udyan gate near Dhaka University’s TSC during Bengali New Year celebrations on April 14 in 2015. The women, who had joined the celebrations, were molested by the youths in the crowd.
A case was filed with Shahbagh Police Station against an unspecified number of unnamed people on April 17. Later, detectives identified eight of the assaulters, including Kamal, scrutinising video footage.
On December 13 in 2015, the police submitted the final report to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court for the disposal of the case filed in connection with the sexual harassment, as the eight people could not be arrested.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Hasibul Haque on December 22 last year sent the report to Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Sheikh Hafizur Rahman for taking next steps.
Later, Hafizur Rahman sent the report to judge of Dhaka’s Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-3 in January this year for the final disposal of the case.
