Anti-rape protests roll on for 4 days

As anti-rape protests raged across the country for the fourth consecutive day yesterday, BCL men have attacked demonstrators in Moulvibazar and Chattogram.

Spurred on by the recent gang rape in Noakhali, students, their guardians and teachers of Viqarunnisa Noon School and College yesterday took position in front of its campus on Baily Road around 12:00pm and staged demonstrations demanding the toughest of punishments to the rapists. They also expressed discontent regarding the government's failure to protect women.

"The guilt is only yours… the rapist is you," the protesters chanted.

They said nobody should be a victim of rape. Even boys in madrasas go through this. No children should face rape and sexual assault, the protesters demanded.

In front of Bashundhara Residential Area gate, protestors held a rally around 11:30am, wearing black t-shirts, holding placards demanding justice for rape survivors and security for women in the country.

Several hundred activists of Chhatra Union, Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology and Bangladesh Skateboarding Community protested at Shahbagh intersection demanding exemplary punishment and the speedy trial of all convicted rapists.

Some students of left-leaning student bodies started protests in front of the National Museum at Shahbagh around 11:30am.

They demanded the resignation of Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal for his failure to stop rape incidents across the country.

They announced that a mass rally will be held today at 4:00pm at Shahbagh to press home their demands.

In the afternoon, around a hundred students protested on Dhanmondi Road 27, chanting "We want justice."

Dhaka University Teachers Association (Duta) yesterday formed a human chain at the base of Aparajeyo Bangla, demanding quick trial of all those who perpetuate violence against women and punishment to rapists.

They said teachers have to take the responsibility of building a moral nation.

Similar protests were held in Lalmonirhat, Gazipur, Rajbari, Thakurgaon Faridpur, Sunamganj, Bhola, Jashore and Bagerhat districts.

Meanwhile, protesters in Moulvibazar said they were attacked by Chhatra League me in front of the Press Club at 12:00pm during the rally organised by leftist student organisations. However, Moulvibazar police and BCL said they didn't know anything about the incident.

Shubhinoy Roy, president of the district Chhatra Union, said it was during their prescheduled programme to protest the rise of rape across the country that a group of Chhatra League men attacked them.

Moulvibazar Police Officer-in-Charge Yasinul Haque said, "We have not received any such complaint."

District BCL Vice-President Amit Roy said he didn't hear of any such incident.

Meanwhile, police in Brahmanbaria got into a scuffle with  BNP men when they were staging an anti-rape human chain in front of the Zila Parishad Market around 11:00am.

In Kishoreganj, police chased away a rally by Chhatra and Jubo Adhikar Parishad, protesters alleged.A group of BCL men also allegedly halted the protest by general students of Chattogram protesting the countrywide rape incidents yesterday evening.

Around 50 students of different institution formed a human chain at Wasa intersection area around 4:00pm.