Mob Surrounds Police Station in Dhaka, Demands Release of Sexual Harassment Suspect

Synopsis

In a disturbing display of lawlessness, a mob named 'Tawhidi Janata' besieged the Shahbagh Police Station in Dhaka, demanding the release of a detained man accused of harassing a female student. Authorities have confirmed the incident, highlighting ongoing issues with violence and moral policing in Bangladesh.

Key Takeaways

Protesters gathered at the Shahbagh Police Station.
The accused, Arnob, is a library assistant at Dhaka University.
Complaints of sexual harassment were filed by the victim.
The mob claimed the accused was only advising on modesty.
Protests against the Home Advisor highlight rising violence in Bangladesh.

Dhaka, March 6 (NationPress) In yet another episode of lawlessness in Bangladesh, a protesting mob identifying themselves as Tawhidi Janata surrounded the capital's Shahbagh Police Station in the early hours of Thursday, as reported by local media outlets.

The demonstrators conducted a sit-in protest, demanding the release of an individual who had been detained for harassing a female student from Dhaka University, one of the premier universities in the Islamic nation.

Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md Khalid Mansur of Shahbagh police station stated, "The boy sexually harassed the female student of Dhaka University. The girl lodged a complaint regarding this at both the proctor's office and the police station. Necessary actions have been initiated in this matter."

The police revealed that the accused, Arnob, works as a bookbinder in the Dhaka University library.

The mob asserted that the accused had "merely approached the female student in a decent manner" and claimed he was performing an "Islamic moral obligation" by advising her on modest dressing.

They also threatened to pursue a defamation and theft case against the student if her complaint against the accused was not retracted.

In a conversation with the prominent Bangladeshi daily, The Dhaka Tribune, the complainant recounted that she was returning with a friend from a tutoring session on Wednesday afternoon when the alleged harasser approached her.

She further stated that the accused questioned her about her attire, inquiring why her scarf was not positioned correctly and why she was "roaming around like this" instead of dressing more suitably. When she attempted to contact her friends and the university proctor, the accused reportedly fled to avoid apprehension.

Subsequently, Dhaka University Proctor Saifuddin Ahmed informed the prominent Bangladeshi newspaper, The Daily Star, that "At around 4:30 pm on Wednesday, we received a complaint that one of our students was harassed by our library's assistant bookbinder, Arnob. Later, some students brought him to my office. Upon questioning, he admitted to the harassment. We then handed him over to the police.

Earlier this week, a group of protesters, under the banner of 'Bangladesh against rape and oppression,' burned an effigy of Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, demanding his resignation following comments made by the Home Advisor regarding the harassment of two young women for smoking in public at Dhaka's Lalmatia.

The protesters, accusing the Home Adviser of incompetence, claimed that incidents of rape, murder, mob violence, and moral policing are increasing throughout Bangladesh.

Several incidents of sexual violence against women were also reported in February 2025. The Bangladesh Mahila Parishad previously condemned the growing occurrences of crime against women while questioning the effectiveness of law enforcement in Bangladesh.