Home adviser gets 24 hrs ultimatum for resignation

A group of students and youths under the banner of ‘Bangladesh against Rape and Repression’ issued an ultimatum for 24 hours to home minister Jahangir Alam to resign from his position or else they would bring out a torch procession towards the home ministry on Tuesday evening.

The platform announced the ultimatum from a road march to the home ministry in front of the Shikkha Bhaban in the capital on Monday afternoon.

Adrita Roy, a student of Jahangirnagar University, announced the ultimatum on behalf of the platform.

Protesters also placed a 9-point demand and that include taking effective measures to stop growing incidents of rape, women repression and mugging; ensuring trial in all rape incidents; making necessary amendments to Women and Children Repression Prevention Act and other laws; changing the definition of rape in the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act 2000, adding all forms of penetration to the definition of rape irrespective of gender of victims or perpetrators and removing the existing complexities over filing a case related to rape incidents.

They also demanded functioning of independent anti-sexual harassment cell comprising teachers and student at all educational institutions.

Earlier, the ‘Bangladesh against Rape and Repression’ held a brief rally beneath the Central Shaheed Minar around 2:14 pm, then began the road march demanding the resignation of home adviser.

As the march reached near the Shikkha Bhaban, protesters met with police barriers. They removed the barriers and took position on the road where they placed the ultimatum. Later, they returned to the TSC in Dhaka University.