DU student withdraws harassment case amid 'rape, death threats'
"After getting death and rape threats, I'm shattered. I was traumatised after the incident took place. Now a group of people are threatening me online. That's why I have decided to withdraw the case," the female student told TBS
The Dhaka University (DU) student who had filed a case against Mostofa Asif Arnab, an assistant bookbinder at the DU library, for harassing her has withdrawn the case.
The female student told The Business Standard in the early hours of Friday (7 March) that she withdrew the case soon after the accused was granted bail on Thursday and she had received death and rape threats.
"A meeting was also held at the DU proctor's office regarding this. I have submitted a written application to the Shahbagh police station to withdraw the case. I see no point in fighting the case anymore," she said.
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"After getting death and rape threats, I'm shattered. I was traumatised after the incident took place. Now a group of people are threatening me online. That's why I have decided to withdraw the case," she told TBS.
Shahabagh Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Khalid Mansur said he received the student's application.
"Police do not have authority to scrap or withdraw a case until the court orders. We will send the application to the concerned court," he added.
Victim concerns over police handling
In a post on her personal Facebook profile on Friday morning, the student said, "Police did not protect my information. I have been getting death and rape threats on Facebook and WhatsApp.
"My university authority has not been involved in withdrawing the case. They did not force me. Instead, my department teachers and the proctorial team helped me."
Regarding safety concerns, she wrote, "The police revealed my personal information. When I asked them, they said the case documents could be made public.
"Then why do they note so much information in the case copy? Let it be stored somewhere else. And why didn't they tell me this in the beginning? Then I wouldn't have filed a case."
"Do you have any idea how much I had to endure last night [Thursday] for this stupid rule of yours [police]? When will this police force and these stupid rules of theirs change?" she asked.
Asif secured bail from Dhaka's Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court following overnight protests and siege on Shahbagh police station for his release by a group of people, identifying themselves as "Tawhidi Janata."
The day before, the DU administration handed over Asif to Shahbagh police after he reportedly admitted to verbally abusing the DU female student for not having her "scarf in the right place".
The student had filed a complaint in this regard with the DU proctor and later filed a case at the Shahbagh police station.
OC Khalid at the time had said, "The man sexually harassed the female student of DU. The girl filed a complaint in this regard at the proctor's office and the police station. Necessary action has been taken in view of this."
What was the incident
In a Facebook post made earlier that day, the DU student detailed the alleged harassment. She shared a photo of a man in the post and wrote, "This man harassed me on my way from Shahbagh.
"He suddenly stopped me on the road and told me that my clothing was inappropriate, I did not wear a veil, etc., and his behaviour was very aggressive."
She wrote that when she enquired about his department and designated dormitory, assuming he was a DU student, the man replied that "he was not from campus."
The student further wrote that she was wearing a salwar, kameez and a headscarf. He ran away when she warned him that she would call the proctor about this incident, according to the post.
