Students of different educational institutions in Dhaka and elsewhere in the country on Sunday held demonstrations, protesting against the deterioration of law and order situation and the recent incidents of rape, attacks on and harassment of women.
They said that the interim government had failed to restore the law and order situation after the July uprising, leading to an increase of the incidents like rape, attacks on and harassment of women, snatching, robbery and extortion across the country.
They said that such crimes increased as the authorities failed to bring the culprits to book.
Student of different educational institutions gave ultimatums of different timeframes to the authorities concerned,聽聽 including home adviser retired Lieutenant General Jahangir Alam Chowdhury to ensure people鈥檚 security and safety otherwise they would call tough programmes and force the adviser to resign.
Students under the banner of 鈥楥onscious Students of Dhaka University鈥� held a rally in front of the Anti-Terrorism Raju Memorial Sculpture on the Dhaka University campus in the capital.
Forhad Ali, an Islamic studies department student at the DU, said that people did not expect that rape, attack and oppression against women would continue after the July uprising that ousted authoritarian Awami League regime on August 5, 2024.
鈥楾he interim government must take strong actions to end those,鈥� said Forhad.
Announcing a 24-hour ultimatum, DU international relations student Khairul Ahsan said that the home adviser must resign if he failed to ensure security of people and women within the timeframe.
In a separate demonstration organised by another group of DU students at the same place, female students said that they felt unsafe everywhere as rape, attacks on and harassment of women had increased.
Referring to the recent rape and harassment incidents, DU music department student Shima Akhter blamed the government and law enforcing agencies for failing to take effective steps to arrest the culprits.
鈥楢bout 17 rapes took place in the past 48 hours. It is very alarming for the country and all people. Those who were involved must be arrested and punished,鈥� said Shima.
Eden Mohila College students also demonstrated on their campus in the capital Dhaka.
Eden College student Anatoliyena Skaiya said that women were not safe anywhere as they were facing attacks, harassment and sexual assaults in buses, rickshaws and on roads.
鈥業f the home adviser cannot ensure our security, he should resign,鈥� said Skaiya.
A group of students and people blocked the New Market-Mirpur road at Ashadgate in the capital from about 11:00am to 2:00pm, protesting against the recent rapes, attacks on and harassment of women, while students of Birshreshtha Munshi Abdur Rouf Public College held protest march on different roads at Dhanmondi and Zhigatola in the city.
The Jagannath University Student Forum also staged a protest rally on the campus in Dhaka, condemning the rising incidents of rape and violence against women and called for ensuring the safety and security of all individuals, including women and children, the JnU correspondent reported.
JnU mass communication and journalism student Ivan Tahsib said, 鈥榃omen played a pivotal role in the July uprising. Yet, today, we are still fighting for a state safe for women. Ensuring the safety of all citizens is a core aspiration of the movement, but it remains unfulfilled. Our fight is not over.鈥�
JnU Bangla department student Shatabdikha Urmi said, 鈥楥riminals in Bangladesh seem to have been given a free pass. Every morning, I wake up to news of rape, mugging and murder that leaves me in constant fears.鈥�
Jahangirnagar University students demonstrated on the campus at Savar, demanding the arrest of culprits involved in rape within 48 hours, reported the JU correspondent.
The students urged the law enforcement agencies and the government to take immediate actions to put an end to such crimes and bring the perpetrators to book.
Former coordinators of July uprising in Tangail held a sit-in at the Tangail Central Shaheed Minar.
One of the participants, Fatima Rahman Bithi, said that the silence of the government and law enforcers in this connections would not be tolerated anymore.
Besides, a group of students of BRAC University, Government Titumir College, East West University, Jatiya Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam University, Government Brojomohun College, Barishal, Comilla University, students under the platforms of Private University Student Network, Pritilata Brigade and Revolutionary Student Unity DU unit organised separate demonstrations, including rally, sit-in, march, torch procession and others, protesting against the rapes, attacks on and harassment of women.
