Staff Reporter :
The Pahela Baishakh celebrations at Dhaka University campus near the TSC building and Suhrawardy Udyan gate on Tuesday evening saw a beastly sexual assault on at least 20 women by a group of rowdy youths bringing shame to the nation and a scandalous end to the New Year celebrations.
The incident made the people crowding the area utterly speechless and severely shocked raising questions where were police security at the area, because the assault went on uninterrupted for quite some time without police intervention. The incident once again reminded the city dwellers and the nation as a whole about the lawlessness and insecurity that the people are vulnerable at home and at social places.
The beastly act reportedly carried out by unruly members of the student body belonging to the ruling party raised questions at all level as to why they have become so reckless and the need that they must be put under check and their impunity must end.
Meanwhile, various socio- political organisations and rights groups have protested the molestation
of the women and formed human chains yesterday demanding punishment to the culprits. The High Court in a suo-moto issued on the Inspector General of Police and Dhaka University Vice Chancellor and others yesterday asked them to explain the incident and what measures they are taking to nab the culprits and punish them.
People’s anger was mainly directed at the police for their initial inaction and slow move to come to the rescue of the hapless women who were grounded at several places and became victims of the attackers’ barbarism. People were running helter-shelters in fear of insecurity in the areas in absence of effective police cover.
It was exactly the place where some killers knifed blogger Avijit Roy in February this year when police were on guard at a closer distance. They did not act quickly and when they came up the attackers have already fled away. In the Pahela Baisakh incident the attackers landed at the area in separate groups and molested the women at will.
When some students of the left organizations rushed to rescue the women they also came under attacks and were severely beaten. Some of them were later sent to hospital for treatment.
It remains unanswered how the gruesome attacks on the dignity of the women were made when the entire area was watched by 19 cctv cameras and they were also monitored from police control room.
Human rights activists have specially decried the event and said a similar incident of molestation of women took place during the Gregorian New Year’s celebrations on December 31 night at the TSC area. Almost every such occasion sees some women are sexually harassed.
But the university authorities have left the celebrations open to attacks and police are also failing to take effective pre-emptive steps to stop such heinous acts. They believe people must take the issue to the streets to force the varsity authorities and the police to act responsible and give protection to women at every such vulnerable occasion.
Allegations galore that police turned a blind eye when the incident started to take place. Police came only when the attackers left the scene on being chased by students and other people taking their life at risks.
Immediately after the incident Officer in Charge of Shahbagh Police Station which gives security to the area, at first attempted to dismiss the fact that a serious breach of law and order has taken place in the area. Later he conceded that some ‘isolated events’ have taken place and they are trying to collect the CCTV footage to identify the culprits and arrest them.
Meanwhile, the acting Proctor of Dhaka University Professor Amjad Ali said it was quite unclear how such a barbaric incident can take place at such an open place and amidst such a big crowd, He claimed that despite efforts of University Administration, the security network was not well-planned and had many gaps and loopholes. It left the scope to be misused by the miscreants. Professor Amjad said, even after several meetings with law enforcers over the security measures on the campus, the security arrangement was not made as planned.
Meanwhile leaders of Dhaka University chapter of Bangladesh Chhatra Union Liton Nandi has expressed extreme frustration at the careless attitude of the Proctor and raised questions how some careless and selfish persons like the proctor are chairing the most prestigious university of the country. He said the Proctor refused to come forward in aid of the victims in time when news of this incident flashed out. Nandi himself was seriously injured and his right arm was broken on being beaten by the attackers. Meanwhile, police indifference is only adding anger of the common people. Metropolitan Police Commissioner Md. Asaduzzaman Miah at first denied any news of such incident. Rather, he said “The youths teased only one female student and our force charged batons and dispersed the students. We still do not know the identity of the female student and no one registered any complaint with us. We are trying to find out the student.”
Following this incident on Tuesday night, Shahbagh Police Sub-Inspector Abul Kalam Azad filed a lawsuit against unknown number of miscreants over allegations of sexual assault against women in the campus during Pahela Baishakh celebrations.
Bangladesh Chhatra Union, Pragatishil Chhatra Jote, Samajtantrik Chhatra Front, Bangladesh Chhatra Federation and Biplobi Chhatra Moitri have brought out processions demanding exemplary punishment of the culprits who harassed the women.
A platform of women has demanded immediate arrest and punishment for those who sexually assaulted the women at Dhaka University during the Pahela Baishakh celebrations. Bikkhubdha Nari Samaj (Aggrieved Women Society), demonstrated at the gate of Suhrawardy Udyan on Wednesday evening in protest against the incident. Addressing the protesters, Prof Gitiara Nasreen of the Department of Mass Communication and Journalism said, “The rate of harassing women in the country is increasing. These men are getting away with sexually assaulting women.” She said, “I know all men are not harassers. But I also know that men do not miss out an opportunity to harass.”
Prof Nasreen urged all to take a stand against harassment of women. “You must protest. Otherwise, when your daughters are assaulted, you won’t be able to do anything.” Associate Professor Fahmidul Haq said, “This assault (on women) has posed a question mark at our Bengali culture. We wonder who are at work trying to lead us towards something else by orchestrating such incident. Where are they getting the powers from?” he asked.
Lecturer Fahima Durrat of the Department of Peace and Conflict Studies’ said, “This is the time to protest. Or such incidents will keep on happening.”She joined others at the demonstrations demanding punitive measures against the assaulters. She claimed, “Several youths were caught and handed over to police. But police have released them.”
“If police fail to act accordingly and arrest those responsible, they must be held accountable to public,” she demanded.
Ain O Salish Kendra, a human rights organization working for women rights has demanded the government to take strict punitive action against the perpetrators through proper investigation.
In a statement, the organisation said that citizen’s freedom of movement and freedom of assembly are protected under article-36 and article-37 of our constitution. Such unacceptable behavior towards women when they were taking part in a traditional festival and the law enforcers apathy to take preventive measures is against our constitutional safeguard. Abdullah Al Kafee, a mayoral candidate for Dhaka North City Corporation polls, gave an ultimatum to police to arrest the culprits within Friday. In his election manifesto presented at the National Press Club on Thursday morning, Kafee said, “If those culprits are not arrested by Friday, I will go on a sit-in strike in front of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police office on Saturday.”
