A sub-inspector has been withdrawn over the incidents of sexual harassment of a number of women at Suhrawardy Udyan and some parts of Dhaka University campus.
SI Ashraful Alam was on duty at Suhrawardy Udyan during the attacks on Pohela Boishakh.
Shahbagh police Inspector AK Saidul Haque Bhuiyan told the Dhaka Tribune: "SI Ashraful was withdrawn over the sexual harassment incidents during the Pohela Boishakh celebration."
He, however, refused to disclose the specific allegation against the SI for which he was withdrawn.
When thousands of people were celebrating 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.
The assaults took place within less than two months after three to four women were sexually harassed in public near the entrance of Suhrawardy Udyan at TSC intersection during the Amar Ekushey Book Fair.
The Dhaka Tribune published two photos of the youths harassing a girl on February 21 but they could neither be identified nor brought to book till now.
After a series of protests and outrage on social media since Tuesday, police now say in following CCTV footage, they have noticed one incident near the TSC roundabout.
Even though the police acknowledged one incident, witnesses and student leaders alleged at least seven women came under attack 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.
