A court in Dhaka has ordered the remand of three university students accused of drugging, raping, and blackmailing a female student from Gono University. The ruling was handed down on Thursday by Senior Judicial Magistrate Tajul Islam Sohag of the Chief Judicial Magistrate’s Court.
Police arrested four students on Wednesday following a case filed by the victim the previous night. The complaint names four classmates and includes allegations of administering intoxicants, sexual assault, the filming of the assault, and intimidation through threats of releasing the footage online. The arrested students have been identified as Delowar Bhuiyan (26), Tajul Islam (23), Shraban Saha (23), and Antu Dewan (28).
Inspector Shafiqul Islam, who is leading the investigation, produced the accused before the court on Thursday, requesting a seven-day remand to facilitate interrogation. Defence lawyers argued vigorously for bail and sought the dismissal of the remand petitions. After reviewing both arguments, the court granted three days’ remand for Tajul and Shraban, and two days for Antu. Delowar, meanwhile, has been ordered to remain in jail custody.
The case file outlines a disturbing sequence of events allegedly beginning on 7 April. The victim stated that the three accused—Delowar, Tajul, and Shraban—invited her on a supposed picnic to Phuler Tek in Ashulia. During the journey, she was allegedly given a sedative-laced soft drink and subsequently lost consciousness. Upon regaining partial awareness, she found herself in the rented quarters of the accused, where she realised she had been subjected to sexual assault. She later learned that the accused had recorded the assault on their mobile phones. The charge sheet asserts that the men threatened to publish the footage on social media if she told anyone or sought legal redress.
A second alleged attack is reported to have taken place on 6 November. At around 8:30 am, as the student was heading to the university, she was confronted by Delowar, Tajul, and Shraban near Baishmail in Ashulia. She claims they informed her that their senior, Antu Dewan, wished to engage in a sexual relationship with her. When she rejected the proposition, they allegedly assaulted her and attempted to force her to accompany them. At some point during the confrontation, she was allegedly made to consume a narcotic drink. The victim ultimately managed to flee and reached the university campus, where she collapsed. Her classmates and teachers transported her to Gonoshasthaya Samajvittik Medical College Hospital. As her condition deteriorated, she was later transferred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
The allegations have triggered significant outrage among students and rights groups, with demands for swift justice and measures to ensure safety on campus. Police authorities have stated that they will question the accused further during the remand period and continue gathering evidence to support the prosecution.