Countrywide protests continue聽
An anti-rape march in Dhaka was attacked by the police as countrywide protests against violence against women continued for the fourth day in a row on Tuesday to press for speedy trial and capital punishment for the perpetrators.
The police charged batons on the protesters beside the InterContinental Hotel near the state guest house Jamuna, now the official residence of chief adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus, at about 3:00pm during their march towards Jamuna to hand over a memorandum to fulfil their nine demands.
Their demands include the removal of home adviser retired lieutenant general Jahangir Alam Chowdhury for failing to end killing, rape and harassment of women, establishing a speedy trial tribunal for the trial of rape cases, logical reforms in rape and harassment prevention laws and ensuring functional anti-harassment cells in workplaces and educational institutions.
At least 21 protesters and police personnel were injured in the clash as protesters under the banner of Dhorshon o Nipironer Biruddhe Bangladesh (Bangladesh against Rape and Harassment) tried to advance towards the chief adviser鈥檚 residence defying a police barricade near InterContinental Hotel, according to the protesters and the police.聽
The protesters, including students and cultural activists, gathered and held a brief rally at the Anti-Terrorism Raju Memorial Sculpture on the Dhaka University campus at around 2:15pm before their scheduled march towards the CA鈥檚 residence.
Jahangirnagar University student Adrita Roy alleged that male police personnel tortured the female protesters.
The Dhorshon o Nipironer Biruddhe Bangladesh in a press release later claimed that at least 15 protesters were injured in the attack and demanded punishment for the police personnel involved in the attack.
Denying the allegation, Dhaka Metropolitan Police鈥檚 Ramna division deputy commissioner Masud Alam told reporters that the police did not charge batons on the protesters. 鈥楾hey rather tried to control the crowd when at least six police officials became injured.鈥�
Ganosamhati Andolan chief coordinator Zonayed Saki and executive coordinator Abul Hassan Rubel in a joint statement condemned the attack and demanded punishment for the police officials involved in the attack.
On Tuesday, different organisations, cultural activists, media personalities, students of different educational institutions, and cross section of people in Dhaka and elsewhere in the country continued to stage demonstrations against violence against women.
The widespread protests sparked when an eight-year-old girl, now on life support at Combined Military Hospital in Dhaka, was found in a critical condition after she had been raped on March 5 while visiting her sister鈥檚 in-laws鈥� house in Magura.
According to a Inter Services Public Relation Directorate press release issued on Monday night, an interdisciplinary medical board was formed for the child鈥檚 better treatment.
Students from 30 colleges in Dhaka staged a day-long sit-in in front of the Bangladesh National Museum at Shahbag condemning the recent surge of incidents of rape and other forms of violence against women.聽聽 聽
Students of Viqarunnisa Noon School and College, Birshreshtha Munshi Abdur Rouf Public College, Birshreshtha Noor Mohammad Public College, Dhaka City College, Dhanmondi Ideal College, Dhaka Residential Model College, Notre Dame College, Dhaka College were among the demonstrators there.
Democratic Students鈥� Alliance, a combine of seven student wings of left political parties, held a rally on the DU campus demanding the removal of the home adviser.
Film and drama directors of the Directors Guild-BD formed a human chain in front National Press Club in Dhaka protesting at rape and harassment against women.
A group of rights activists, cultural activists and left leaders brought out a torch procession from Shahbagh in the evening demanding exemplary punishment for rapists and the removal of the home adviser. The procession marched different roads on the DU campus.
The Ganatantrik Sangskritik Oikya organised a cultural protest procession from Shahbagh to Raju Memorial at DU to press home the same demands.
抖阴精品 correspondent in Magura reported that a group of women under the platform of Students Against Discrimination besieged the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court demanding exemplary punishment for the perpetrators of violence against women.
They also offered a memorandum to Magura deputy commissioner to press for their demands.
Pro-Bangladesh Nationalist Party teachers鈥� organisation, White Panel, formed a human chain on the Dhaka University campus demanding punishment for rapists, an end to the disrespect to women and the prevention of law and order deterioration.
Sada Dal convener Professor Morshed Hasan Khan gave a seven-day ultimatum to the home adviser and the inspector general of police to take strong actions against rape and harassment against women.
鈥楾ake strong action against it within this period or we will march towards the ministry,鈥� said Morshed.
A group of students of Jahangirnagar University staged a daylong cultural demonstration against sexual violence on the JU campus, reported our JU Correspondent.
抖阴精品 staff correspondent in Rajshahi reported that students of Rajshahi University on Tuesday continued their protest for the third consecutive day.
Several hundred of them, covering their faces with black clothes, gathered on the university鈥檚 Paris Road at about 11:30am and performed various protesting songs and poems, as well as solo acting.
抖阴精品 Staff Correspondent in Chattogram reported that Chattogram city mayor Shahadat Hossain, addressing a human chain organised by the Chattogram city unit of Mahila Dal, demanded a law to ensure punishment for rapists in public and blamed weak law enforcement for the recent surge in the incidents of violence against women.
