A tense situation unfolded at Shahbagh Police Station early Thursday morning when a group of around 30 individuals stormed the station, demanding the immediate release of Mostafa Asif.
The 30-year-old assistant binder at Dhaka University’s central library had been arrested the previous day for allegedly harassing a female student from the university.
The group insisted that Asif, who was accused of verbally harassing the student, be released by morning.
If their demand was not met, they threatened to stage a large-scale sit-in protest outside the police station.
The situation escalated around 1:30 am when the protesters entered the station, pressing law enforcement to release Asif.
Despite the growing pressure, discussions between the protesters and the police were still ongoing.
The protesters defended Asif, claiming that he had only "approached the female student in a decent manner."
They argued that he was merely fulfilling an "Islamic moral obligation" by advising her on how to dress modestly.
Some of them even threatened to file defamation and theft charges against the student if she did not withdraw her complaint.
The female student, who was allegedly harassed by Asif, shared her account of the incident with Dhaka Tribune.
She explained that on the afternoon of the incident, around 1:30 pm, she was returning from a tutoring session with a friend when Asif approached her.
According to her, he questioned her attire, specifically asking why her scarf was not properly placed and why she was "roaming around like this" instead of dressing more appropriately.
When she defended her outfit, stating it was proper, Asif reportedly disagreed, arguing that her scarf was not covering her chest area.
In an attempt to get help, the student tried calling her friends and the university proctor, but Asif fled toward Suhrawardy Udyan to evade being caught.
The accused, Mostafa Asif, responded to the situation in a Facebook comment under the victim’s post, stating that he had spoken to her "out of respect" and lamented that he had lost his job for what he claimed was a "good" action.
Kazi Mostak Gausul Hoq, the librarian at Dhaka University’s central library, told Dhaka Tribune that he learned of the incident from the proctor after 5 pm.
He mentioned that the library administration would take official action and that a decision would be made after consulting with Dhaka University authorities to ensure justice.
Meanwhile, Shahbagh Police Station’s Officer-in-Charge, Md Khalid Mansur, confirmed that the female student had filed a case against Asif for “obscene verbal sexual harassment.”
He further explained, “We contacted the DU proctorial team, where the accused confessed to the allegations. We have registered the complaint, arrested the suspect, and will present him in court for further investigation.”
As the situation continues to develop, the protests and police discussions show the tense atmosphere surrounding this case, as the authorities work to resolve the matter.
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