Police have stopped protesters from marching towards the Ministry of Home Affairs to demand arrest and punishment for those who sexually assaulted several women during Bengali New Year celebrations at Dhaka University.
On Wednesday, a rally organised by Pragatishil Chhatra Jote (Progressive students’ alliance) and Samrajyabadbirodhi Chhatra Oikya (Anti-imperialist students’ unity) marched from the campus towards Doyel Chattar via TSC.
They were greeted by a police barricade when the procession reached Shishu Academy.
But the protesters removed the barricade and continued the march.
However, when they reached the High Court area, law enforcers again stopped them.
The protesters demonstrated there and held a brief rally where Bangladesh Chhatra Union President Hasan Tarek criticised police for failing to detain the assaulters.
“The very people against whom we are seeking justice are thwarting our movement,” he said.
General Secretary of Bangladesh Chhatra Federation Ashraful Alam Sohel accused the law enforcers of being “involved in the oppression.”
Samajtantrik Chhatra Front’s President Janardan Dutta Nantu commented on the law enforcers’ ‘incapability’ to catch the harassers.
“When we are fighting against the crime, the ministry and law-enforcing agencies are failing to provide us security.”
On May 10, the left-leaning student organisations took out a protest march towards the DMP Headquarters demanding the arrest and punishment of the perpetrators.
However, demonstrators were intercepted at the Minto Road. Police first charged batons, lobbed teargas canisters and then used water cannon to disperse them.
Photos and footages of the incident showed how police assaulted the demonstrators with batons and helmets. They kept on hitting the protesters even after they fell to the ground.
Disturbing images showed several policemen cornering Chhatra Union activist Ismat Jahan and kicking her. They chased her, pulled her by the hair when she fell down and repeatedly kicked her.
Police faced strong criticism after these images were all over the media.
Police officer Md Anis was suspended over the incident.
Source: Bd news24