‘No one stood up for her’: Bus helper arrested for hitting woman

The man seen in a now-viral video physically assaulting a woman on a Dhaka bus -- reportedly over the clothes she was wearing -- was arrested yesterday by members of the Rapid Action Battalion (Rab-4).

A team from Rab-4 detained Md Nizam Uddin, 45, from the Mohammadpur Bus Stand area, confirmed Major Mohammad Abrar Foysal Sadi, operations officer of Rab-4.

"The suspect is a bus [driver's] helper of Ramzan Paribahan," Major Sadi told The Daily Star, confirming that the man seen in the video assaulting the young woman was indeed Nizamuddin.

Kazi Rafiq, officer-in-charge of Mohammadpur Police Station, said the arrestee was being sent to court after showing arrested in a case filed against him.

The incident sparked widespread outrage after the footage went viral on social media. The video shows the man arguing with the woman before slapping her. Other passengers looked on and no one made any attempt to intervene. The woman then took off her shoe and struck him in return.

Reports indicate that the confrontation began when the man objected to the woman's attire, leading to the assault.

Sidratul Muntaha Rahaman Tibro -- the young woman at the centre of the viral incident -- appeared in a Facebook video today, confirming her identity.

"Assalamu Alaikum, I am Sidratul Muntaha Rahaman Tibro. The young woman being talked about on social media for the past few days -- that's me," she said.

Tibro said she had been "completely disconnected from everyone" over the past few days as she was "deeply traumatised."

She added that administrative officials had been trying to contact her and that she had already spoken with them. "They informed me that the accused is being held at Mohammadpur Police Station. I am going there now," she said.

Explaining why she decided to make the video public, Tibro said, "I'm making this video so that if anything happens to me, you all will know."

When this newspaper called the number used by Tibro, a man answered and declined to speak to the media about the incident. "We want justice, and that is all we want to say," he said without revealing his identity. 

According to the investigation report submitted by Sub-Inspector Akkel Ali of Mohammadpur Police Station at a Dhaka Court, the complainant is a university student who frequently travels by bus. On October 27, around 1:40 pm, she boarded a Ramzan Paribahan bus from Dhanmondi-15, heading towards Basila.

Around 2:20 pm, as the bus reached Basila Metro Housing, the accused allegedly made an offensive remark about her attire, asking, "What are you wearing?" When she confronted him, he reportedly responded with vulgar comments.

As she protested, the accused allegedly grabbed and began hitting her. In self-defence, she struck him with her shoe, the report says. The accused then punched her and forced her off the bus.

The investigation officer said that the accused admitted to his involvement during interrogation. Primary investigation has found sufficient evidence linking him to the assault, the report mentioned.

SI Akkel Ali has sought to keep him in jail until the investigation is complete, saying his release on bail could allow him to flee or hamper the probe.