Staff Reporter :Several women were harassed near the TSC of Dhaka University on Tuesday evening by a gang of rogue youths when they were coming out of Suhrawardy Udyan after joining the function of ‘Bangla New Year 1422’. The incident took place at the gate of the Suhrawardy Udyan and the ‘Milon Chattar’, opposite of the TSC. According to the eyewitnesses, at least 20 women suffered the horrific situation. A group of 30 to 40 unruly youths swooped on the women and harassed them. The policemen, who were present there, played silent role. During the incident, some students rushed to the spot to rescue the women. Some of them were also physically assaulted as they tried to intercept the stalkers. DU unit president of Bangladesh Chhatrra Union Liton Nandi was left with a broken right arm.Chhatra Union’s organising secretary GM Zilani said that the stalkers took the advantage of the law enforcers’ silent role. He also said that the on-duty police members visited the spot almost one hour later when all the stalkers had left the place.The university authorities and the police are yet to identify the culprits who harassed the women. DU’s acting Proctor Prof Amzad Ali blamed police’s irresponsibility for such incident. However, Sirajul Islam, Officer-in-Charge of Shahbagh Police Station, said that it was an ‘isolated incident’. The on-duty police charged batons briefly on the crowd. But, they failed to stop them harassing the women. He said that police were trying to identify the perpetrators. “We will try to identify the miscreants by checking the CCTV footage.”According to OC, the DMP headquarters did not provide the footages till Wednesday evening. “Once the footage is obtained, we will arrest those responsible after verifying the recording,” the OC said. Prof Amzad Ali said that they had asked the police to close the gates of Suhrawardy Udyan by 4:00 pm, but the police did not do it. So, the police can’t avert their responsibility. Talking to The New Nation, Liton Nandi blamed the police and the university authorities for the incident. He narrated the incident briefly. “A victim woman fell down on the ground, but the youths started assaulting her. When I went to rescue her, the youths started beating me. I collapsed too and broke my arm.” He also said that on-duty policemen did not act during the incident. Liton Nandi later received treatment at the Dhaka Medical College and Hospital. The Chhatra Union, Pragatishil Chhatra Jote, Samajtantrik Chhatra Front, Bangladesh Chhatra Federation and Biplobi Chhatra Moitri and some other leftist student organisations condemned the assaults on the women. They demonstrated on the campus on Wednesday demanding immediate arrest of the culprits. The organisations issued a seven-day ultimatum against the Dhaka University administration to take action against the culprits involved in harassing women. Chhatra Union arranged a press conference at the Modhu’s Canteen. Its leaders blamed the both DU authorities and police for the incidents. Meanwhile, Jagannath University students beat an activist of Bangladesh Chhatra League, the student wing the ruling Awami League, for harassing some female students on a university bus. The culprit was identified as Nazmul, a political science seventh batch student.According to witnesses, the incident took place on Tuesday afternoon at Chankharpool when two buses of the university – ‘Uttaran’ and ‘Anirban’ – were returning from campus after the Pahela Baishakh celebrations. The BCL activists along with the JnU unit’s organising secretary Suranjan were teasing the female students. The students of the buses shoved them off the bus at Chankharpool. Jagannath University’s acting Proctor Nur Mohammad said that the authorities would take measures if they received complaints.
