Mountaineer Shayla 'attacked' in Dhanmondi, complaint filed
Bangladeshi mountaineer and journalist Shayla Parvin Bithi was allegedly attacked by an unidentified person in Dhanmondi this afternoon.
Shayla Parvin filed a general diary (GD) at the Sher-e Bangla Nagar Police Station following the incident.
The police station's Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mozammel Haque confirmed that the complaint was registered.
He said, "We sent police to the spot. Efforts are underway to find out who may have been involved in the attack. The victim does not know the attacker. CCTV footage of the incident was seen. From the footage we spotted a man, who appeared to be a 'tokai' [scrap collector], was present during the attack. His identity could not be identified and we could not be sure who the attacker was."
Shayla could not be reached over the phone for comment.
Women's rights activist Khushi Kabir and 'Amrai Pari' coordinator Zeenat Ara Haque have expressed concern over the incident. They condemned the attack and demanded the attacker be identified and brought to book.
Earlier on the day, Taimur Faruk Tushar, her husband who is also a journalist, told The Business Standard, "My wife was crossing the Dhanmondi 27 footover bridge located in front of Mother Care Hospital at 2:10pm and all of a sudden, someone attacked her from behind. They grabbed her by the hair and started beating her."
"We don't know yet why she was attacked or who the person was," he added.
"Police may get the CCTV footage from the nearby market and road. We hope police will apprehend the perpetrator," he added.
Contacted, Dhaka Metropolitan Police Additional Deputy Commissioner Ziaul Haque said they're looking into the incident and will take legal action accordingly.
Mountaineer Shayla Bithi has conquered the 6,332 metre high Dolma Khang peak of the Himalayas in 2022. She became the first Bangladeshi woman to climb the mountain.