Two BCL men identified in sexual assault of CU student

Police have found two Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) activists were involved in the campus sexual assault of a female Chittagong University student on the night of 17 July.

"All five accused in the sexual harassment case filed with Hathazari police station are students of the university," OC Md Ruhul Amin of the police station told The Business Standard (TBS).

"Two of them have been identified from CCTV footage so far. For investigational integrity, their names have not been released yet," he said.

According to the case statement, a student of the university was physically assaulted by five miscreants near Pritilata Hall of the university on the night of 17 July. When her friends intervened and tried to capture the incident on video, the principal victim student had been stripped naked. The miscreants later snatched away the mobile phones that recorded the incident.

The victim student filed a case with Hathazari Police Station under section 10 of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act, accusing five unidentified people.

Shahidul Islam, assistant proctor of the university said, "There are about 135 CCTV cameras in the university. About 50 of these CCTV cameras can capture night scenes. Analysing the footage from those cameras, we got some clues and are trying to arrest the criminals based on that."

"The accused in the case filed with Hathazari Police Station will be arrested soon," the assistant Proctor hoped.

"All involved in this sexual assault of a girl are active in BCL politics. One of them was taken into police custody," a police official, on condition of anonymity, confirmed to The Business Standard.

The police official said, "Five criminals have been identified by witness statements, CCTV footage, and motorcycle number plates. Two of them have been fully identified and DB Police has already taken one of them into custody."

"The university probe committee and the police have the details of the incident. Those who assaulted the student will be arrested within the next two days," hoped Shireen Akhter, vice-chancellor of the University.

Meanwhile, after this incident, when the victim student went to the proctor's office to file a complaint, Chittagong University BCL president Rezaul Haque Rubel allegedly stopped her from doing so. The central BCL however has issued a show-cause notice to Rezaul, accusing him of "violating discipline" a day after the incident.

The show-cause notice reads, the CU unit BCL President has been asked to submit a written explanation to central BCL within three working days why organisational action should not be taken against him for his involvement in "undisciplined" activities.

CU unit BCL president Rezaul said, "There is no question of barring a student from lodging a complaint. Some vested quarter is playing a political game involving me in the matter."

Following the incident, students of the university have been protesting with demands for justice and a safe campus.

From Thursday morning, students under the banner of a progressive students' alliance organised a human chain protest rally and sit-in program on campus.