Pahela Baishakh ‘sex offender’ remanded

A Dhaka court on Thursday placed Kamal Hossen, arrested in connection with the sexual assault on women during Pahela Baishakh celebration in Dhaka University’s Teacher-Student Centre (TSC) area last year, on a two-day remand.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Abdullah Al Masud passed the order after rejecting a petition filed by Kamal’s lawyer seeking cancellation of any remand.

Earlier, sub-inspector of Detective Branch (DB) of Police Dipok Kumar Das produced Kamal before the court seeking a seven-day remand for him.

Police arrested Kamal Hossen, 35, on Wednesday night from the Lalbagh area of the capital. Kamal is a vegetable trader and is among the eight persons identified from CCTV footage, police said.

During primary interrogation, Kamal admitted his involvement into the assault, said Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) spokesperson Maruf Hossain Sardar.

At least 20 women were sexually assaulted for over an hour, allegedly under the nose of police, by a group of rowdy youths for over an hour in TSC area on the evening of April 14 last year.

The incident sparked a wave of protest throughout the country. Later, a case was filed with Shahbagh Police Station in this connection.

Earlier on May 17, 2015, police declared Tk 1 lakh reward for capture of each eight identified from camera footages of the sexual assault during Pahela Baishakh celebrations.