Women’s platform protests harassment at Dhaka University during New Year celebrations

A platform of women has demanded immediate arrest and punishment for those who sexually assaulted several women at Dhaka University during Bengali New Year celebrations on Tuesday.

Bikkhubdha Nari Samaj, or Aggrieved Women Society, demonstrated at the gate of Suhrawardy Udyan near DU’s TSC on Wednesday evening in protest against the incident.

The women on Tuesday night were assaulted there by a group of at least 30 rogue youths.

Addressing the protesters, Prof Gitiara Nasreen of the Department of Mass Communication and Journalism said, “The rate of harassing women in the county is increasing. These men are getting away with sexually assaulting women.”

She said, “I know all men are not harassers. But I also know that men do not miss out on the opportunity to harass.

“They are the ones who need to take the first step to put an end to this.”

Prof Nasreen urged all to take a stand against harassment of women. “You must protest. Otherwise, when your daughters are assaulted, you won’t be able to do anything.”

The same department’s Associate Professor Fahmidul Haq said, “This assault (on women) has posed a question at our Bengali culture.”

“Who are trying to lead us towards something else by orchestrating such incident? Where are they getting the powers from?” he asked.

Department of Peace and Conflict Studies’ Lecturer Fahima Durrat said, “This is the time to protest. Or such incidents will keep happening.”

She joined the others at the demonstrations demanding punitive measures against the assaulters.

She claimed, “Several youths were caught (during Tuesday’s night’s incident) and handed over to police. But police have released them.”

“If police fail to act accordingly and arrest those responsible, they must be held accountable to public,” she demanded.

Bikkhubdha Nari Samaj’s agitations took place after the demonstrations of several student organisations earlier in the day.

The students accused police of ‘doing nothing’ while the women were being preyed on at the crowded campus, the hotspot for Pahela Baishakh celebrations in the capital.

The authorities at Bangladesh’s premier university have been ‘aloof’ about the sexual assaults, Bangladesh Chhatra Union said at a press conference on Wednesday noon.

Earlier, leaders and activists of the Union, Pragatishil Chhatra Jote, Samajtantrik Chhatra Front, Bangladesh Chhatra Federation and Biplobi Chhatra Moitri marched down the campus to register their protest against the shocking incident.