JU students end blockade after VC assures rape suspect’s arrest in 72 hours

Students are angry that authorities have failed to ensure the suspect’s arrest 100 hours after the attempted rape

Protesting students at Jahangirnagar University (JU) have suspended their sit-in and unlocked the administrative building following an assurance from the vice-chancellor that the suspect behind an attempted rape on campus would be arrested within 72 hours.

The students withdrew their eight-hour blockade around 6pm on Sunday after Vice-Chancellor Prof Mohammad Kamrul Ahsan visited the protest venue and committed to a swift arrest.

Earlier in the day, around 10am, a group of female students locked the two main entrances of the new administrative building, completely halting official activities.

The protest stems from an incident on Tuesday night, when a female student was allegedly dragged into the dark and subjected to an attempted rape on a road adjacent to the abandoned Fazilatunnesa Hall.

Following the incident, the university administration filed a case against an unidentified individual at Ashulia Police Station.

Expressing frustration over the delay in law enforcement action, Adrita Roy, a student of the drama and dramatics department, said: "More than 100 hours have passed since the incident, but there is no progress in arresting the suspect. It raises serious questions about whether the administration is fulfilling its responsibilities properly."

As the blockade continued into the afternoon, demonstrators vowed to persist until they received a concrete timeline for the suspect's arrest.

He further announced that an internal probe committee would submit its investigation report within the next seven days to initiate necessary institutional actions.

Since the university is scheduled to go on vacation starting May 20, the students set a strict 72-hour ultimatum for the arrest before unlocking the administrative gates.

This prompted VC Kamrul Ahsan to meet the agitating students at 4:40pm.

Acknowledging the administrative lapses, the VC told the students: "Your protest is justified. The administration bears responsibility for such incidents. We failed to perform our duties properly, and we are also facing a shortage of security personnel."