Female students from several universities in Bangladesh staged a protest yesterday at Dhaka University, demanding justice for the rape and murder of a 31-year-old doctor in Kolkata, India.
The rally, titled “Awaj Tolo Nari” (Raise Your Voice, Women), saw participants calling for the exemplary punishment for the culprits.
Protesters held placards with messages such as “How Old Were You?”, “Hang the Rapists,” “Am I Next?”, “Stop Violence,” and “Don’t Be an Alpha Male, Question What It Represents.”
“This society focuses on exposing the victim’s identity while shielding the rapist or harasser. We see this even in our media. Some people blame incidents of rape on women’s clothing. We’ve seen even an eight-year-old girl being raped, yet some still blame the victim’s attire,” said a student from BRAC University.
Anika Arefin, a student of Dhaka University, said, “We have protested multiple times demanding safety for women, but freedom for women remains elusive due to cultural impunity.”
Another student added, “We often face harassment on the streets, but there is little we can do due to a lack of proper evidence.”
“There have been cases where girls were harassed by influential figures, like teachers, but they did not receive justice,” she noted.
In addition to this rally, a group of women gathered last night at the base of the Raju Memorial sculpture on the Dhaka University campus, demanding justice for the victim and proper investigation into all rape cases since Bangladesh’s independence.
