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unidentified man began following her. Upon reaching the road beside Fazilatunnesa Hall, the man allegedly wrapped a net-like object around her neck and dragged her to an area beside the extended section of Al-Beruni Hall.

Students passing through the area on a motorcycle heard the victim screaming for help.

Speaking to The Daily Star, Safikul Islam, a student of the Bangla department and one of those who responded, said they rushed to the scene immediately after hearing the cries.

“When we reached the spot, we found a female student in a distressed state near the bushes.”

The students later informed the university’s security officials, after which members of the proctorial body arrived at the scene.

Deputy Registrar Gafrul said students informed him of the incident around 11:15pm. “We searched the entire area immediately, but could not find the suspect,” he said, adding that the victim was taken to the university medical centre for initial treatment, while authorities began reviewing CCTV footage to identify the accused.

“Footage analysis confirmed that the suspect wrapped a net-like object around the student’s neck and dragged her into a wooded area beside the extended part of Al-Beruni Hall. Based on the footage, we have been able to make a preliminary identification of the suspect.”

JU Proctor AKM Rashidul Alam said, “After analysing the CCTV footage, we have seen the suspect’s face. From what we could assess, the person involved in the incident does not appear to be a student of the university.

“We are deeply distressed by the incident that took place on our campus.”

PROTEST BREAKS OUT

Proctor Rashidul faced widespread criticism after he said in front of his office on the night of the incident, “Ensuring security is not the responsibility of the proctor, but of the registrar.”

Protesting his statement, more than 1,000 female students gathered in front of the proctor’s office last night, demanding his resignation.

They alleged that he failed to ensure the safety and security of female students at the university.

Lamisha Jaman, a student protester, said, “How can he say he is not responsible for students’ safety and security? Moreover, he has failed to resolve any of the [previous] harassment complaints filed with his office.”

As of the filing of this report around 12:30am, the protesters were staging a sit-in at the registrar’s office, reiterating their demand for the proctor’s resignation.