Dhaka Metropolitan Police has formed two committees to investigate the incidents of sexual assault on women during the Pohela Boishakh celebrations on Dhaka University campus Tuesday evening.
Monirul Islam, joint commissioner of the DMP, confirmed the Dhaka Tribune about the formation of the committees.
He said one committee was formed with three members and another with two members.
The members of the committees are DMP Joint Commissioner Ibrahim Fatemi, Joint Commissioner Md Belalur Rahman, Deputy Commissioner of Detective Branch Jahangir Hossain, Additional Deputy Commissioner, Ramna Ibrahim Khan, and Assistant Commissioner Shibli Noman.
On Thursday, the High Court asked the inspector general of police and the DU vice-chancellor to conduct investigations and submit separate reports to the court by May 17. The respondents were also asked to mention what steps they had taken against the culprits by that time.
When thousands of people were celebrating the Pohela Boishakh, gangs of unruly youths swooped on around five to seven women and sexually harassed them at Suhrawardy Udyan and some parts of Dhaka University campus.
After series of protests and outrage in social media since Tuesday, police now say following CCTV footages, they have noticed one incident near the TSC roundabout.
Even though the police acknowledged one incident, witnesses and student leaders alleged that at least seven women came under attacks near TSC and Matsya Bhaban areas on Tuesday afternoon.
The attackers were honking vuvuzelas during the assaults to suppress the victims’ screams, witnesses said adding that they also filmed the incidents with inhuman enthusiasm.
Bangladesh Students’ Union DU unit President Liton Nandi received severe injuries while trying to rescue a woman near the TSC.