Not a single culprit is booked

Detectives yesterday submitted the final report in the case over sexual assault on women during this year's Pahela Baishakh celebrations, saying none of the culprits could be identified or arrested.

Sub-inspector Dipak Kumar Das of Detective Branch (DB) of police, also the investigation officer (IO) of the case, gave the report to Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court in the afternoon.

"The incidents of sexual assault [on women] took place during the Pahela Baishakh celebrations on the Dhaka University campus. We have submitted the final report but could not identify or arrest any of the offenders," court sources quoted the IO as saying in the report.

Tribunal for Prevention of Women and Children Repression, which is dealing with the case, will now decide whether the report will be accepted. The tribunal will hold a hearing after the winter vacation ending on January 2, added the sources.

In the evening of Pahela Baishakh (April 14), at least 20 women were sexually assaulted on the DU campus for over an hour.

Although a number of police personnel were standing nearby, they did not do anything to stop it. Moreover, one officer released two of the culprits caught and handed over to him by public.

Despite a huge public outcry following the incident, police kept denying that the women were sexually assaulted.

On April 18, police for the first time admitted that the women were indeed sexually harassed.

Later, they released photos of eight youths who allegedly carried out the assault and declared reward of Tk 1 lakh for information on each of them.

They were identified from the footage of CCTV cameras installed around the scene.

Initially police was investigating the case but it was transferred to the DB later.