Bus helper arrested over attempted rape aboard bus in Ashulia

Arrest

Savar, Jul 20 – Police have arrested the helper of a bus over the attempted rape of a female garment worker on a moving bus in Ashulia, a week after the incident.

The accused, Kawshar Hossain Sanzid, 25, a helper of Itihash Paribahan, was arrested from Gazipur on Monday with the help of information technology, police said.

Sub-Inspector Anwar Hossain PPM of Ashulia Police Station said Sanzid had gone into hiding in the Shah Alam Bari area under Basan Police Station in Gazipur, where he had taken a job as the driver of a courier service vehicle.

He was tracked down and arrested on Monday night, the SI said.

Earlier, police seized the Itihash Paribahan bus (Dhaka Metro-B-15-8508) allegedly used in the crime and arrested its driver, Azizul Sikder.

According to the case statement, the incident occurred on the night of July 12 when the victim was returning to her workplace from her home district of Dinajpur. She boarded an Itihash Paribahan bus bound for Savar after getting off at Chandra intersection.

Police said that after the bus reached Sripur Bus Stand, all other passengers got off and the driver and helper allegedly refused to allow any new passengers to board.

The woman became frightened and repeatedly asked them to stop the bus so she could get off, but instead the driver continued driving at high speed.

During the incident, Sanzid was allegedly behind the wheel of the bus, police said.

At one stage, the woman jumped from the moving bus to save herself, suffering serious injuries.

Police said further legal proceedings are underway. - UNB