Eden College: 21 women activists demand judicial inquiry
Some 21 eminent women activists have demanded a judicial committee to be formed to uncover the actual events at Eden Mahila College during the recent turmoil. They urged for the truth to be uncovered in the 'despicable circumstances' of the college.
Among the activists are Dhaka University professors Geetiara Nasreen, Kajalie Shehreen Islam and Samina Lutfa; Jahangirnagar University Pprofessors Mirza Taslima Sultana and Shilpi Barua, human rights defender Rani Yan Yan and others.
In a joint statement on Tuesday, they also alleged the government has played a silent role during the turmoil. If the allegations regarding the Eden College are substantiated, the activists demanded strict punishment for the people involved with the offence under the Prevention and Suppression of Trafficking in Human Beings Act (2012).
The statement said there has been an unofficial agreement between the ruling party and its student wing for several decades. The agreement is that the leaders and activists of the student organisations will act as ideological activists and the muscle power to help the ruling party remain in power.
In return, the student leaders amass such a large amount of wealth through seat trading, tendering and extortion during their student life, which is quite impossible for a middle-class jobholder to achieve in his entire life.
The heads of the educational institutions pretend not to understand the issue as they get security for their positions of principal or vice principal in return.
The BCL leaders of Eden College have added a new dimension to terror and crime by enriching their own profile and fund through sexual exploitation on fellow students.
The activists pointed out two possible aspects of the recent turmoil and described them as equally appalling. Firstly, the girls aspiring for student politics are instilled with the idea that they need to spend nights with leaders to build a political career. Secondly, they will have to face torture if they do not comply with their superiors’ order to join the sex crime ring.
They also noted that the government is still silent on the Eden College issue and the education minister did not present any explanation despite being a woman.