Video of man advancing with stick towards woman at DU, 3-member inquiry committee formed

A video showing a young man advancing towards a woman with a stick at the TSC (Teachers Student Centre) of the Dhaka University has circulated widely on social media. The incident occurred in the early hours of Wednesday.

The university administration has formed a three-member committee to investigate the matter.

The viral video shows a young man holding a stick and moving aggressively towards a woman.

Fellow students have identified him as Ahmed Rakib, a student of the 2023–24 session of the Department of World Religions and Culture at the University of Dhaka.

The video also shows another student, whom acquaintances have identified as Shahriar Tushar from the Department of Theatre and Performance Studies.

However, no statements have been obtained from either of the two students. When contacted over phone late on Wednesday night, Rakib’s mobile phone was found switched off while Tushar disconnected the call.

The video shows two women, one of whom the young man approached with the stick. The alleged victim appears in the footage in tears, demanding justice.

In the video, she states that they had come to TSC after having sehri in Old Dhaka and that they were subsequently harassed.

The woman can be heard alleging that the student addressed them as “prostitute”.

Expressing her anger in the video, she states, “We are not safe on the Dhaka University campus… University boys beat us.”

When asked about the matter, sub-inspector Swapan Mia of Shahbagh police station told Prothom Alo that they were not aware of the incident.

Speaking about the alleged incident, DU proctor Saifuddin Ahmed told Prothom Alo, “We have seen the video. We have formed a three-member inquiry committee to determine the authenticity of the incident. We will take further action on the basis of the committee’s report.”