4 held for assaulting Eden students

Four salesmen from Chandni Chowk market in capital's Gausia area were held yesterday afternoon for allegedly assaulting students of Eden Women's College.

The salesmen -- Nazrul Islam, Al-Amin, Abul Hosen and Nayan -- were picked up by police after the students filed a complaint, Atikur Rahman, officer-in-charge of New Market Police Station, told The Daily Star.

One of the victims also shared the incident of assault through a Facebook status detailing the extent of abuse they suffered. She, however, changed the privacy settings of the post, or removed it later.

The four students along with one of their mothers and an aunt went shopping at the market on Friday when the two elderly women got separated from the girls in the crowd.

They contacted the girls over mobile phone and asked them to come in front of a store called Shahnur Fabrics where the two elderly women were waiting, according to the victim's Facebook status.

While the women were waiting for the girls in front of the store, a salesman from the shop asked them to move away from the spot saying they were obstructing other customers from entering the shop. They also allegedly misbehaved with them, the post stated. When the girls finally reached the spot, the salesmen allegedly engaged in an altercation with the girls and assaulted them both verbally and physically.

After the Facebook status was shared, many users protested the disgraceful abuse of the women. The students later filed a complaint with the New Market Police Station.

Police raided the shop and arrested three salesmen from Shahnur Fabrics and one from the adjacent shop, the OC said. A case is being filed in this regard.