S M Mizanur Rahman :
Hundreds of teachers and students of different institutions and people of all walks of life on Monday formed a massive human chain as anger over sexual harassment on women during Pahela Baishakh celebrations on Dhaka University campus deepened further.
They demanded immediate punishment to the perpetrators responsible for the assault on the women. Participants at the human chain, organised on the DU campus in the morning, expressed their resentment over the silent role of the university authorities and police as the offenders are yet to be nabbed. Meanwhile, the DU proctoral body and the law enforcers have identified four out of the seven suspects after going through the CCTV footage. Besides Dhaka University, teachers and students of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) and Eden Mohila College, leaders and activists of political parties and socio-cultural organisations joined the human chain stretching over one and a half kilometers from Aparajeyo Bangla to Curzon Hall.
Apart from them, people in large numbers from different parts of the city also started joining the human chain and demonstration on the campus since morning. The participants also marched through different streets of the campus protesting against the silent role of the university authorities as well as police inaction against the perpetrators.
They demanded immediate removal of the proctor of Dhaka University and declared they would continue their programme until the arrest of culprits. Bangladesh Chhatra Union formed an-hour-long human chain in front of Raju Sculpture at Teacher-Student Centre (TSC) in the morning. Another human chain was organised by Dhaka University Teachers Association in front of Aparajeyo Bangla where hundreds of teachers and students joined.
Social Science Faculty of the university also held a human chain in front of Arts Faculty with the same demand.
Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. A A M S Arefin Siddique said the university administration has been doing its best to trace the culprits involved in sexual harassment of women soon after the incident took place. “We are observing the overall situation right now. I would like to say none wants to entertain such shameful incident,” he told The New Nation while replying to a query whether the university authorities are playing a silent role.
State Minister for Home Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, when contacted, told The New Nation on Monday that, “We couldn’t trace the victims yet. As part of investigation we failed to contact any eyewitness. We are repeatedly requesting people who witnessed the incident to come to us and cooperate with us.”
He further said the law enforcers are continuing efforts to trace the culprits. “Actually, it is very difficult to identify the perpetrators responsible for the sexual assaults on women during a big gathering on the campus,” the state minister for home said.
About 30 youths sexually harassed around 20 women for about an hour at the Suhrawardy Udyan gate near the TSC area on April 14, the first day of Bangla New Year.
Meanwhile, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Monday demanded immediate arrest of culprits involved in harassing women sexually.
“I would like to make my stand clear that the offenders whoever they are must be identified and be brought to justice. No delay is tolerable in this regard,” NHRC chairman Prof Dr Mizanur Rahman told a press briefing at his office in the morning.
He criticised the role of law enforcers as they failed to play their due role. Mizanur Rahman said some students handed over two suspects to police, but they managed to escape due to negligence of the police. “Observing police role we have become frustrated.”
