DU student rape: Protestors break hunger strike after VC’s assurance

Four Dhaka University students, who had gone on a hunger strike demanding punishment of the rapist of their fellow, broke their hunger strike on Tuesday night after vice-chancellor Akhtaruzzman assured them of looking into the matter, reports UNB.

Professor Akhtaruzzman went to Anti-terrorism Raju Memorial Sculpture around 10.30pm where the students staged the hunger strike and convinced them to break their fast. The students then took fruit juice and water given by the VC.

Sifatul Islam, a student of DU's philosophy department, first started the hunger strike at 3:30am on Monday, demanding punishment of the rapist.

Later on Tuesday, Saiful Islam Russell of Soil, Water and Environment department and also member of DUCSU, Mustafizur Rahman of Information Technology Institute and Abdur Rahman of History department joined the hunger strike with Sifatul.

VC Akhtaruzzaman told the students, "Your demand is logical. We've instructions from top level of the government to look into the matter. We demand maximum punishment of the culprit. If this demand is not met, I'll be with you. You're like our children. We don't want you to be in danger."

Proctor professor Golam Rabbani, assistant proctors and some DUCSU members were present on the occasion.

A second-year student of the university was raped in the city's Kurmitola area on Sunday night.

The victim is now undergoing treatment at the One-Stop Crisis Centre (OSCC) of Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

Victim's friends said she was picked up by an unidentified man after she got down from a university bus around 7pm and was made unconscious.

Later, the miscreant took her to a nearby place and raped her.

The victim regained her consciousness around 10pm and contacted her classmates.