Original CCTV footage released to identify suspect in attempted rape case at JU

PNN News Desk. Dhaka

Law enforcement authorities have released the original CCTV image of the suspect involved in the attack and attempted rape of a female student at Jahangirnagar University, in order to identify him.

In a statement issued on Saturday by Police Headquarters, it was said that police are working to identify the person seen in the CCTV footage. Anyone with reliable information about the suspect’s identity or location is requested to contact 01320089305 via WhatsApp. The identity of informants will be kept confidential.

Earlier, an AI-enhanced image of the suspect circulated on social media. Later, allegations arose that it was not an authentic still image from the footage but an artificially generated misleading image, which sparked widespread debate among teachers, students, and media personnel.

It is known that after the incident, university administration officials and the victim attempted to identify the suspect by reviewing CCTV footage, but journalists were not allowed to view it. This led to accusations of information suppression and lack of cooperation against the administration.

Student Lamisa Zaman said that since the suspect’s movements were not clearly visible in the CCTV footage, several images were enhanced using technology. The victim reportedly identified the closest match, which was then shared with journalists and others.

University Proctor Professor A K M Rashidul Alam said that the administration did not provide any AI-edited images and only handed over original footage to the police. However, he admitted that failure to release the actual image at the beginning created confusion.

Following the incident, anxiety and anger have spread among students, who are demanding quick identification and arrest of the suspect.