TBS female journalist assaulted by conductor in moving bus

A journalist of The Business Standard has reportedly been thrashed and harassed in a moving bus by its conductor on her way home to Rampura in the capital.

Following the incident on Thursday evening, Rafia Tamanna, who is a final-year student of Mass Communication and Journalism at Dhaka University, filed a general diary with Rampura police station, a copy of which was obtained by The Business Standard.

According to the complaint, the bus conductor of "Torongo Plus" was harassing her over the fare throughout the journey after she demanded a half pass which she was entitled to as a student.

Rafia said she had been continuously harassed and catcalled by the bus conductor since she boarded the bus around 7pm.

At one stage, "He threatened to throw me off the running bus when I showed him my university ID card and demanded a half pass," she said.

"A good female student should not be all alone in a bus at night,"Rafia quoted the conductor as telling her.

"When he approached me, I got scared and slapped him out of reflex, as you know the experiences of a woman in a local bus are not very pleasant in Bangladesh," she said.

"Then the man repeatedly punched me, kicked me, and was about to throw me off the bus when the driver intervened and pulled him back," she said.

When Rafia got down from the bus she was profusely bleeding from the nose. Rafia said she went to Rampura police station right away and filed a general diary (GD).

Officer-in-charge of Rampura police station Md Rafikul Islam said, "After receiving the GD copy, we brought the accused to the police station."

He said, "Action will be taken against him in accordance with the law."