Violence against women in Bangladesh: ‘We can’t stay silent anymore’

March 10, 2025

DHAKA – Women took to the streets across the country with demands for justice for rape, stricter punishment for offenders, and resignation of the home affairs adviser.

There has been a recent spate of sexual violence across the country, and the rape of an 8-year-old girl — now fighting for life — by a middle-aged man particularly incensed the nation, triggering protests that began on Saturday night.

In the capital, students of seven colleges affiliated with Dhaka University marched with lit torches in the Nilkhet area around 7:00pm yesterday. They later held a candlelit vigil.

Protests rocked the DU campus throughout the day. Resident women students marched and held a rally calling for an end to sexual violence and demanding exemplary punishment for the offenders last night.

Umama Fatema, spokesperson of Students Against Discrimination, announced the formation of the Anti-Rape Platform and said the main demands are immediate establishment of a special tribunal to expedite the trial proceedings and the punishment of the man accused of raping the 8-year-old girl from Magura.

She said if the demands were not met in 24 hours, the home adviser must step down.

Earlier in the day, University Teachers’ Network held a rally at Aparajeyo Bangla, demanding that officers of Shahbagh Police Station be held accountable for failing to protect the personal information of a DU student who recently accused an employee of the university of sexually harassing her.

The man she accused is Mostafa Asif Arnob, a bookbinder, who has now been suspended.

Police must also be held accountable for not taking action when Arnob spread sexually abusive remarks about the victim, the teachers said.

They also demanded identifying and bringing to justice those who bullied the student and threatened her with rape and murder.

A thorough investigation should be launched to identify and sue the men in the mob that glorified the accused and the crime he was accused of, said the teachers.

The teachers’ network also denounced  Home Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury.

“For the last four months, we have been demanding the resignation of the home affairs adviser. Now, I want his dismissal…. Why don’t we have an accountable government?” DU teacher Tasneem Siraj Mahboob said.

Prof Geeti Ara Nasreen and Prof Samina Luthfa also addressed the rally.

PROTESTS ON OTHER CAMPUSES

Students of Jagannath University (JnU) marched and held a rally in the evening.

The protesters marched to Tantibazar intersection and kept the road blocked for almost 30 minutes. They later demonstrated in front of the gate of their campus.

Evan Tahsib, a student leader, said, “The culture of impunity surrounding sexual violence has allowed such crimes to continue unchecked.”

Sifat Hasan Sakib, another activist, said, “Time and again, we see officers delaying rape investigations. It continues even after the mass uprising. It’s a shame for our nation. We can no longer stay silent! We demand the highest punishment for rapists.”

Tania, a student of literature, said, “People often blame women’s outfits. But if that were true, why do women in burqas and even innocent eight-year-old children fall victim to such heinous crimes? The real problem is the deeply rooted perversion of some men.”

Hundreds of Rajshahi University students, mostly women, kept the Dhaka-Rajshahi highway blocked for 30 minutes, declaring a boycott of classes and exams.

“As women, we suffer every single day. We are not safe, even in our own homes. The interim government must ensure our safety,” said Samarita Nag.

At Jahangirnagar University, students and teachers demonstrated throughout the day.

Faculty members formed a human chain at the Central Shaheed Minar, demanding fair investigations and maximum punishment for rapists.

JU Vice-Chancellor Prof Mohammad Kamrul Ahsan said, “The ongoing violence against women reflects the moral decay of society. The students are protesting rightly. We urge the government to take immediate action.”

Students of journalism boycotted classes and exams. A student-led platform, Dhorshon Birodhi Mancha, was formed.

Late at night, JU students blocked the Dhaka-Aricha highway, disrupting traffic for 30 minutes.

Students of North South University, Independent University Bangladesh, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology in Sylhet, and Comilla Victoria Government College also held rallies.

In the early hours today, students of DU, RU, JU, and Khulna University took to the streets.

At DU, Ashrefa Khatun, spokesperson of Bangladesh Democratic Students’ Council, and Umama Fatema spoke.

They demanded that the home adviser, law adviser, and women and children affairs advisor be held accountable for their failure to ensure the safety of women and children.

In Magura, hundreds of students gathered at Bhaina Bus Stand, blocking the Dhaka-Khulna highway.

They also laid siege to Magura District Court.