HC accepts DU probe report on molestation

The High Court yesterday accepted a probe report from Dhaka University that blamed the negligence of police for the incident of sexual assaults on women on the campus during last Pahela Baishakh celebrations.

During hearing of a rule, the bench of Justice Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque and Justice Abu Taher Md Saifur Rahman also fixed August 2 for passing an order on the issue.

DU's sexual assault prevention committee submitted the report to the HC through its lawyers on June 30 as per its earlier order, saying police did not work as per the advice of the university on April 14.   

Citing from the probe report, AFM Mesbahuddin, a lawyer for DU, told The Daily Star that DU's sexual assault prevention committee had found police's negligence in duties for prevention of the sexual assaults.

The committee has not found any negligence of the DU authorities including the vice chancellor and proctor in discharging their duties, although they were busy with holding many functions including Mongol Shova Jatra on the campus that day, he said.

Advocate Mesbahuddin said the five-member probe committee led by DU pro-VC Nasrin Ahmed had not found any involvement of any DU student in the sex assaults.

Saying that a vested quarter might have instigated the incidents in order to malign the government politically, the committee recommended more interaction between police and DU authorities to avoid such incidents in the future, the lawyer said.

Earlier on May 19, the office of the inspector general of police (IGP) submitted a report to the HC bench through Deputy Attorney General (DAG) Tapash Kumar Biswas, saying two separate committees had been formed to examine whether there was any negligence of police in duty to prevent the sexual assaults.

A criminal case was filed with Shahbagh Police Station in connection with the incidents, and police are trying to arrest the offenders, the IGP said in the report.

The DAG told the HC that police already found footage of eight assaulters and announced a Tk 1 lakh bounty for assisting the arrest of each of them.

Following a report of The Daily Star, the HC on April 16 issued a rule asking the government authorities concerned and DU to explain why they should not be directed to take appropriate legal steps against the perpetrators.

The Daily Star reported that the joyous celebration of Bangalee's biggest festival -- Pahela Baishakh -- was tainted by sexual assaults on women on the campus, sparking widespread public outrage.

Witnesses said some 30 to 40 rowdy youths assaulted and molested around 20 women for about one hour at the Suhrawardy Udyan gate near TSC on April 14.

They alleged that although law enforcers were stationed only 20 yards from the spot, they did nothing to rescue the women or arrest the molesters.