‘Bamboo-rod procession’ on DU campus protesting rape, torture of women

A “procession with bamboo-rods” was organised on the Dhaka University campus against the incidents of rape and oppression of women across the country.

The programme was organised under the banner of a platform, Bangladesh against rape and oppression, in front of the Raju Memorial Sculpture near the TSC on the campus around 2:45 pm today, Sunday.

The procession, carrying small bamboo-rods, started from the Raju sculpture and paraded through VC Chattar, Nilkhet, Katabon, Shahbagh intersection and ended at the Raju sculpture again.

Dhaka University teacher Samina Lutfa and members of different social organisations and students participated in the programme and chanted various slogans urging people to stand up against rapists, demanding justice and so on.

Nine-point demands were raised from this programme. Those include, the removal of home adviser Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, who has failed to prevent the ongoing oppression of women, including rape, and the speedy trial of all rape cases in a tribunal.

The nine-point demands are - the resignation of the home adviser who failed to provide public security, accepting responsibility; taking effective steps to stop the ongoing incidents of rape, oppression of women, theft, robbery, and kidnapping throughout the country; immediately ensuring the trial of all incidents of rape and oppression occurring across the country, including in the hills and plainland; and, if necessary, forming a separate tribunal to try rape incidents; making necessary amendments to the laws to prevent rape and oppression of women based on the opinions of the relevant stakeholders; taking steps for necessary institutional reforms to prevent sexual harassment; eliminating complications in police stations in filing rape cases; reviewing and implementation of the witness protection act revised in 2011 to provide all kinds of protection to victims and witnesses; fully investigating the incidents of harassment, slut-shaming, and dismissal of female students of Chittagong University and bring the perpetrators to justice; relieving the authority from responsibility if it engages in slut-shaming; and forming an independent cell against sexual harassment consisting of students and teachers of all educational institutions including the university.

Writer Nigar Sultana participated in the programme.

She told newspersons that she carried a stick as a symbolic protest. They want the safety of everyone, including children and women.

Calling for speedy trial of rape and violence against women, Nigar Sultana stated that speedy trial does not mean that injustice will be done to anyone again.

She remarked that if the criminals are punished, the tendency to commit crimes will decrease.

Ferdous Naeem, a final-year student of the English Department at Dhaka University, also participated in the protest programme.

Shortly after the programme began, she told Prothom Alo in front of the Raju Memorial Sculpture that the “bamboo-rod procession” was not organised by any specific organisation.