3 arrested for attempting rape on moving bus in Ashulia

Police have arrested three people, including the bus driver and helper, over allegations of attempting to rape a woman on a moving bus in Ashulia, Dhaka. The arrestees are bus driver Md Imran (35), helper Md Musfekur Rahman Jony (20) and another individual known to the driver, Md Suman Pramanik (30).

Police said on Monday that the woman and an acquaintance boarded a bus of Savar Paribahan from Gabtoli bus stand in Dhaka around 1:30am on Saturday, heading for Nabingar in Savar. Before reaching Nabingar, the other passengers got off at various stops. Once the bus was almost empty, driver Imran handed the wheel to helper Jony, who drove the bus at high speed towards Chandra in Gazipur.

The driver then beat the man accompanying the woman and forced him off the bus in the Sreepur area. The man later called the national emergency service 999 and informed police. Ashulia Police Station launched an operation, blocking the road with another bus in the Baraipara bus stand area to stop the Savar Paribahan bus. Police rescued the woman and detained Jony and Suman along with the bus.

The victim filed a case under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act. Jony and Suman were produced before the court on Sunday. Later, on Sunday afternoon, police conducted a raid and arrested driver Imran from the Baraipara area of Ashulia. He was produced before the court on Monday.

Ashulia Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mohammad Tarikul Islam said they learned of the incident through the national emergency service 999 and conducted operations to rescue the woman and detain Jony and Suman.

"The woman filed a case under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act. The two were shown arrested in the case and produced before the court yesterday. Driver Imran was arrested from the Baraipara area on Sunday afternoon and produced before the court today," he said.

It may be noted that a similar incident occurred in Ashulia earlier this month. A female garment worker boarding a bus from Chandra intersection to Ashulia late at night was allegedly subjected to an attempted rape on the moving bus. The driver and helper were later arrested in that case. With a second incident in the same area within a short span, questions have been raised again over the safety of female passengers on public transport late at night.