University Teachers' Network demands stern action against student over rape threat to DUCSU candidate

The threat was issued after the filing of a legal challenge against the candidacy of Islami Chhatra Shibir’s general secretary nominee SM Farhad

The University Teachers' Network has called for exemplary punishment of a student accused of threatening to "gang rape" a female candidate in the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) elections.

The threat came after a legal challenge was filed against the candidacy of Islami Chhatra Shibir’s general secretary nominee SM Farhad.

At a press conference in front of Dhaka University’s Madhur Canteen on Tuesday, the network’s members presented a series of demands and proposals concerning the elections.

Reading from a written statement, Tahmina Khanam, speaking on behalf of the network, said: “Regarding the issue of a candidate’s writ petition in the High Court, it has been learnt that a student from the Department of Sociology has threatened a female candidate with gang rape through a Facebook post. The threat maker Ali Hussain should be given exemplary punishment in line with the proper process so that such incidents do not recur.”

The writ petition was filed on Sunday by BM Fahmida Alam, a candidate for secretary of the Liberation War and Democratic Movement Affairs Committee from the “Aparajeyo 71, Adommo 24” panel.

Her petition questioned how Farhad, previously part of a “Chhatra League Committee”, became a candidate of the United Students’ Alliance, which is backed by Jamaat-e-Islami's student wing Shibir.

On Monday, the High Court suspended the DUCSU elections until Oct 30 and ordered the university’s election tribunal to investigate Farhad’s candidacy and submit a report within 15 days.

The order sparked a backlash on campus.

The Dhaka University authorities appealed to the Chamber Court of the Appellate Division, which stayed the suspension and allowed the elections to go forward.

Ali Hussain, a fourth-year sociology student and resident of Shahid Sergeant Zahurul Huq Hall, made a Facebook post on Monday afternoon targeting Fahmida.

He wrote: “Instead of protesting against the High Court now, it would be better to first hold a gang rape march for her first.”

“No one should act in a civil manner after seeing these words,” he added, saying the statement applied to Fahmida’s supporters as well.

Following the post, Chhatra Dal and several left-leaning student groups accused Hussain of being a Chhatra Shibir activist.

On Tuesday, Chhatra Dal staged a protest on campus, calling him a Shibir leader, and held a sit-in outside the Senate Bhaban, the office of the DUCSU returning officer.

Chhatra Shibir has itself filed a written complaint against Hussain with the university proctor on Monday night.

A similar complaint was also submitted by Nayeem Hasan Hridoy, vice president candidate from the “Aparajeyo 71, Adommo 24” panel.

The university administration has since formed a three-member committee to investigate the situation.