Dhaka University students pause protest as VC promises ‘BCL assault’ probe

The Dhaka University students have postponed their protests against alleged assault on their female peers by Bangladesh Chhatra League activists after Vice-Chancellor Prof Akhtaruzzaman assured them of investigations.

The VC promised to form a committee to investigate incident within a day after daylong protests by the students under the banner of ‘Students Against Harassment’ on Wednesday.

They filed a written complaint over the alleged assault and submitted a charter of demand to the VC.

Their representative, Masud Al Mahdi, a student of mass communication and journalism, said their demands included keeping two student representatives in the investigation committee.

“If the investigation report is not published within 48 hours, we will resume nonstop protests on Monday,” he said.

A group of Dhaka University students have been demonstrating for several days demanding that it cut the affiliation with the seven government colleges in the capital.

Leaders of BCL’s DU unit pulled Institute of Information Technology student Moshiur Rahman Sadi, who was coordinating the protests against the university’s affiliation with the colleges, inside the VC’s office on Monday during protests.  

He was confined for a day at Shahbagh Police Station and then handed to his family on Tuesday night.

On Monday, the protesting students alleged the BCL leaders, including some female ones, also assaulted the female students demonstrating in front of the VC’s office.

The ‘Students Against Harassment’ took out a procession after demonstrating in front of the Aparajeyo Bangla sculpture on Wednesday morning, demanding action against the BCL leaders, who allegedly assaulted the female students.

After the procession, the protesters laid a siege to the proctor’s office.

They tore down the collapsible gate of the building after the authorities locked it seeing them coming.

Proctor AKM Golam Rabbani failed to calm the protesters with his assurance of steps over the alleged assault.

The protesters even demanded his resignation at the time.

Later in the afternoon, the proctor took them to the VC’s office for talks.