2 SUST students held over sexual harassment allegation

Police arrested two students of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) for allegedly raping a female student and filming the incident.

The arrested were identified as Shanto Tara Adnan and Swagato Das Partho, both students of the sociology department from the 2021-22 academic session of the university.

According to university and police sources, the accused allegedly drugged the victim, raped her, recorded the incident and threatened to release the footage if she disclosed it. Later, the victim lodged a written complaint with the university proctor on Thursday accusing the duo of raping her at a mess in Sylhet’s Surma Residential Area before Eid.

One of the accused was arrested from the campus and the other from the Surma area around 9:30pm on Thursday.

During the preliminary interrogation at the proctor office, the evidence of raping was found to be true, said Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC-Media) of Sylhet Metropolitan Police Mohammad Saiful Islam said.

He said two cases were filed under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act and the Pornography Control Act. The accused were sent to court on Friday.

Adnan is reportedly linked to the banned Chhatra League and was named in a previous case related to campus violence, while Partho was known for his involvement in the July Movement.