A woman was threatened with rape on a public bus in Tongi, Gazipur, while a Jagannath University student who protested the abuse was later beaten and seriously injured, according to police and a case filed by the victim’s family.
The incident occurred on January 1 on a Victor Classic bus traveling from Uttara to Tongi. Police said the female passenger was subjected to indecent and provocative remarks by the driver while seated in the reserved women’s seat near him. When her husband attempted to record the harassment, the driver allegedly assaulted him and refused to stop the bus despite repeated requests. The woman later reported being threatened with rape inside the bus.
As the situation escalated, a Jagannath University student named Nurunnabi intervened in protest. After passengers disembarked at Hossain Market, the driver, his assistant, and another individual allegedly attacked Nurunnabi with an iron rod, leaving him critically injured. Local residents intervened, stopping the bus and handing one suspect over to police, while the driver and assistant initially fled.
Tongi West Police Station Officer-in-Charge Shahin Khan said the driver and his assistant were arrested the same day and admitted to the incident during preliminary questioning. The bus has been seized, and legal action has been initiated. A case has been filed alleging rape threats and attempted murder.
The victim’s husband also alleged that after the incident, individuals claiming affiliation with a bus owners’ association pressured the family to withdraw the case. Police said the allegations are being investigated alongside the main case.
Bangladesh Feminist Archives 