DU Correspondent :
Thousands of students of Dhaka University (DU) on Monday took the streets protesting the alleged rape and torture of a second year female student of the university in the capital’s Kurmitola area on Sunday night.
All student bodies and platforms including ruling Awami League backed Chhatra League, Bangladesh Nationalist Party backed Chhatra Dal and Anti-Hooliganism Students Unity, an alliance of 12 student organizations comprising left student wings and Bangladesh Students Right Protection Council staged separate demonstrations in the campus.
The protesters chanted slogans demanding the arrest of whoever was responsible and safety for women. Some carried festoons reading, “No more rape, we want justice”‘ and “We want the highest punishment.”
Anti-Hooliganism Students Unity blocked Shahbagh intersection for an hour protesting the incident and also issued a 48-hour ultimatum authorities concerned to arrest the alleged culprit.
They blocked the Shahbagh intersection around 12:30pm halting traffic movement. They withdrew the blockade around 1:30pm after holding a sit-in there.
Earlier the alliance gathered in front of Raju Sculpture on the campus and brought out a procession, demanding justice.
Officer-in-Charge of Shahbagh police station Abul Hasan said that the vehicular movement became normal at the area after the students withdrew the blockade.
Addressing the demonstration Dhaka University Central Students’ Union Vice-President Nurul Haque Nur threatened to wage tougher movement, if the rapist is not arrested within the stipulated timeframe.
He also announced to hold demonstration today at the base of anti-terrorism Raju Memorial Sculpture.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh Chhatra League also staged demonstration in front of Raju Memorial Sculpture demanding justice for the victim and punishment of the culprit.
Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal also formed a human chain at the base of Aporajeyo Bangla sculpture of the university.
Speaking on the occasion, Chhatra Dal central general secretary Iqbal Hossain Shamol said the incident is not an isolated one rather a picture of ongoing violence across the country.
Dhaka University Teachers’ Association in a statement signed by association president ASM Maksud Kamal and Secretary Nijamul Huq condemned the incident also demanded exemplary punishment of the rapists.
Nari Sanghati, Socialist Women Forum in separate statement also condemned the incident and demanded justice.
Bangladesh Mahila Parishad also staged demonstration at the base of Raju Memorial Sculpture of the university on Monday afternoon demanding exemplary punishment of the culprits.
Confirming the incident, DU Proctor AKM Golam Rabbani said that the victim was now undergoing treatment at the One-Stop Crisis Centre of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital.
“DU will provide all kinds of support she needs,” he added.
The DU Proctor also said the university authorities have filed a complaint with Shahbagh police station over the incident.
After visiting the victim at the hospital, DU Vice-Chancellor Professor Akhtaruzzaman said that the university authorities would provide every kind of assistance to the victim student.
Condemning the heinous incident, the VC further said that he requested the law enforcers to nab the perpetrators within shortest possible time and bring them under trial to ensure justice for the victim.
Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) authorities on Monday formed a Medical Board for providing better treatment to the student.
A forensic test on the victim has also been conducted, DMCH Director Brig Gen AKM Nasir Uddin said.
Sohel Mahmud, the head of the forensic department at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, said an examination of the victim found evidence of rape and assault.
Bachchu Miah, Inspector of DMCH police outpost, said the girl was hospitalized around 12:45am.
The victim was walking to a friend’s place after getting off a university bus on Sunday evening, but someone grabbed her from behind, gagged her and took her to an empty place nearby, where she was attacked and was made unconscious, police said.
The incident happened while she was walking from Kurmitola bus stop to a friend’s house in a nearby area around 7:30pm.
The victim regained consciousness around 10:00 pm and contacted her classmates. Her fellow students and several DU employees brought her to DMCH around midnight and got her admitted there.
The victim’s father filed the case with Cantonment Police Station against an unknown person this (Monday) morning, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of the police station Kazi Shahan Haque told The New Nation.
Police, Rapid Action Battalion, Detective Branch (DB) of Police and other intelligence agencies have started investigation over the rape incident, the OC added.
