State Minister for Home Affairs Asaduzzman Khan Kamal has said the law enforcers have arrested some criminals, who were involved with the shocking assault on women at Dhaka University on Pohela Boishakh.
While responding to a query of Independent MP Tahjib Alam Siddique, the junior minister on Monday told the National Parliament: “The Pohela Boishakh assaulters have been identified and the law enforcers have already arrested several among them.
“The law-enforcement agencies have already conducted an inquiry into the regretful incident and those, who are yet to be arrested, will soon be put behind the bars.”
Terming the incident as shameful and disappointing, the junior home boss said: “We had taken some strict measures in order to avert such incidents during the Pohela Boishakh celebrations. But, the presence of a large number of people made the law enforcers awfully busy and they failed to tackle the situation.
“Some miscreants took the advantage of the situation and carried out the crime. The authorities will be on alert to avert such incident in future.”
At least 20 women were reported to have been sexually assaulted while returning home after celebrating Pohela Boishakh on the DU campus.
The sexual harassment of women continued there even though police personnel were on duty nearby. Some of the offenders were handed over to police but they were later released.
Initially police denied their negligence while on duty on the campus.
Later in face of protest and criticism, the police identified at least 12 persons involved in the assault by analysing a video footage.
“After analysis of the video footage we have identified 12 wrongdoers but none of their identity could be ascertained yet,” said Monirul Islam, joint commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP).
Monirul, who is also the chief of the Detective Branch (DB) of police, the agency investigating the sexual assault case, said: “We will definitely bring the miscreants to book.”
The offenders are not the students of DU; they are all outsiders, he said.
