Violence against women: protests spread to national level

Monday 10 March 2025 12:00 am
Last Update on: Monday March 10, 2025 12:41 AM

Personnel correspondent

Monday March 10, 2025 12:00 Last update on: Monday 10 March 2025 12:41 AM

Dhaka University students hold a rally in front of Raju sculpture, demanding maximum penalties for rapists. Last night’s demonstration was one of many due to a moving student movement throughout the country against rape and violence rays against women. Photo: Amran Hossain

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Dhaka University students hold a rally in front of Raju sculpture, demanding maximum penalties for rapists. Last night’s demonstration was one of many due to a moving student movement throughout the country against rape and violence rays against women. Photo: Amran Hossain

Women and men went out on the streets of cities across the country, with justice requests for rape, stricter penalties for criminals and resigning of the LT (RETD) home adviser Jahangir Alam Chowdhury.

There has been a recent series of sexual violence throughout the country, and the rape of an 8-year-old girl-who is now fighting for a middle-aged man, has especially warmed.

In the capital, students from seven colleagues affiliated at Dhaka University (Du) marched with heated torches in the Nilkhet area, yesterday, at 19:00 and lit candles for victims at a demonstration.

On the Du campus, there were demonstrations throughout the day. Students, for the most part, resident women, organized a meeting to cease sexual violence and demanding the exemplary punishment for rapists last night.

Then they marched with heated torches.

Umama Fatema, students’ spokesman for discrimination, announced the formation of the anti-violet platform and said that the main requirements are the immediate establishment of a special court to accelerate the judgment procedure and the execution of the man accused of raping the 8-year-old girl from Magura.

She said that if the applications were not fulfilled in 24 hours, the home counselor must give up.

At the beginning of the day, the network of university professors organized a rally at Depaejeyo Bangla, requesting that the officers of the Shahbagh police station be held responsible for not protecting the personal information of a student who accused an university employee of harassing her.

The man who was accused is Mostafa Asif Arnob, a bookbinder, who has now been suspended.

Also, the police must be held responsible for not taking measures against the accused when Arnob spread sexually abusive observations about the victim, teachers said.

They also asked for the identification and bringing in court of those who have intimidated the sexually harassed student and threatened with rape and crime.

A thorough investigation should be launched to identify and sue the men in the crowd who glorified the accused and the crime he was accused of, the teachers said.

They asked the Du authorities to properly investigate Arnob.

Professor Du Tasneem Sijij Mahboob said: “In the last four months, I have asked the resignation of the counselor for internal business. Now, I want his dismissal. And what about the law counselor? What do these two do? Why don’t we have a responsible government?”

Prof. Geeti Ara Nasreen and Prof. Samina Luthfa condemned to increase sexual violence and demanded strict legal actions.

Prof. Samina also criticized the delay in punishing a university employee accused of incorrect conduct.

Protests all over the country

Hundreds of students from Rajshahi University, mostly women, kept the Dhaka-Dirashahi highway for 30 minutes, declaring a boycott of classes and exams.

“As women, we suffer every day. We are not safe, even in our homes. The interim government must ensure our safety,” said Samarita Nag.

At the University of Jahangirnagar, they demonstrated students and teachers throughout the day.

The members of the faculty formed a human chain at the central Shaheed Minar, demanding correct investigations and maximum penalties for rapists.

Vice-Cancelul Ju, Prof. Mohammad Kamrul Ahsan, said: “Continuous violence against women reflect the moral caries. Student protests are justified and we ask the Government to take immediate measures.”

The students from the Ju journalism department boycotted courses and exams, organizing a separate human chain.

They warned about intensified protests if the justice was not prompt.

A student -led platform, Dhorshon Birody Mancha, with Meher Afroze Shaoli from the Jahangirnag Theater, was formed, functioning as its spokesman.

Late at night, Ju students blocked the Dhaka-Aricha highway, disrupting traffic for 30 minutes.

Students at North South University, Bangladesh Independent University, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology and the Comilla Victoria College also organized meetings against sexual violence.