BRAC Student Attempted Gang Rape Allegation Sparks Outrage; Accused Admits

An allegation of an attempted gang rape has emerged against a student of Brac University and his friend in the capital, where a female student of the same university was deceptively lured to an apartment and given a drugged beverage. Evidence from the accused individuals' WhatsApp messages also revealed prior plans to trap various other underage girls and young women using similar tactics.

The incident occurred late Thursday night (July 30) at a rented apartment in the capital. After the matter came to light and one of the accused students posted a confession of his crime on social media, intense anger swept across the campus. Students have drawn the attention of the relevant university authorities, demanding the immediate permanent expulsion and exemplary punishment of the accused.

According to students and eyewitnesses, the accused, Mumtahin Islam Inan, asked a female friend to meet him outside and subsequently tricked her into going to his friend's apartment. There, sleeping pills were mixed into Coca-Cola to render her semi-conscious. Inan and his friend, Ahsan Kabir Nafim, then attempted to rape her. However, despite being in a semi-conscious state, the victim scuffled with them and somehow managed to escape from the apartment.

Following the incident, when the victim's classmates confronted the accused, Inan and Nafim, evidence of their pre-planned WhatsApp conversations was discovered. The chat logs revealed sensational details regarding previous plans to lure multiple other girls into similar traps using the same strategy, including a ninth-grade student.

The matter circulating on social media has come to our attention, and we are treating it with the utmost seriousness. The authenticity of the published information and allegations, as well as the identities of the individuals involved and their affiliation with the university, are being verified through due process. If any allegations are substantiated, BRAC University will take action in accordance with its policies and established procedures.— The Office of Communications, BRAC University.

After the allegations surfaced, Inan posted a confessory status from his personal social media account. In the post, he wrote that he and Nafim had intentionally lured the victim to the apartment under the pretext of meeting in a public place. He explained that he later left the location making an excuse and stopped answering the victim's phone calls so that his friend could take advantage of the situation. Inan also admitted in his post to being involved in such criminal tendencies for a long time.

Following the incident, general students at Brac University expressed severe outrage and demanded justice before the university's anti-sexual harassment and assault cell, 'SHEBREC', as well as the university authorities. The primary demands raised by the students include taking strict and swift legal action by conducting an impartial investigation to immediately and permanently expel the accused from the university alongside legal proceedings; officially informing general students from the university administration regarding the punitive measures taken; and ensuring the practical implementation of the university's zero-tolerance policy against sexual violence along with guaranteeing full security for students.

In connection with this incident, Brac University's Office of Communications sent a message to The Daily Campus, stating that Brac University's position on any form of violence against women, sexual harassment, or abuse is very clear, and the university maintains a zero-tolerance policy towards such behavior.

The university's message further stated that the matter spread on social media has come to their attention and they are treating it with utmost seriousness. The authenticity of the published information and allegations, as well as the identities of the individuals involved and their connection to the university, are being verified through due process. Brac University reaffirmed that if any allegation is proven, it will follow its internal policies and due protocol to take appropriate action.