The High Court today directed the inspector general of police to report by June 28 on the progress of police steps against sexual assault on women at Dhaka University campus during Pahela Baishakh celebration.

The court passed the order during hearing a rule issued by its own over the incidents.

Following a report published on The Daily Star, the HC on April 16 issued the rule asking the authorities concerned of the government and DU to explain as to why they should not be directed to take appropriate legal steps against the perpetrators.

Today, the High Court bench of Justice Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque and Justice Abu Taher Md Saifur Rahman also fixed June 28 for passing further orders on the issue.

Earlier in the day, the office of IGP placed a report through Deputy Attorney General Tapash Kumar Biswas before the bench, saying that two separate committees have been formed to examine whether there was any negligence of police on duty during the incident.

A criminal case has been filed with Shahbagh Police Station in connection with the incident and police are trying to arrest the offenders, the IGP said in the report.

The DAG told the HC that police have already found footage of eight assaulters and announced Tk 1 lakh bounty for arresting each of them.

The Daily Star reported that the joyous celebration of the Bangalee's biggest festival -- Pahela Baishakh -- was tainted by incidents of sexual assault on women on the DU campus, sparking widespread public outrage.

Witnesses said some 30 to 40 rowdy youths assaulted and sexually harassed around 20 women for about one hour at the Suhrawardy Udyan gate near the TSC area around 6:00pm.

They alleged although law enforcers were stationed only 20 yards from the spot, they did nothing to rescue the women or arrest those who launched the sexual assault.

The incident, which happened close to writer Avijit's murder scene, ignited fury on social networking sites. Several organisations condemned the assault and demanded immediate arrest of the attackers, according to The Daily Star report.

The Daily Star has submitted its authenticity report through its lawyer Mohammad Hasan Habin to the HC, as per its order.