Gang Rape of Noakhali Woman: Outraged, they continue to protest

Protesting torture and rape of a Noakhali woman, students and right activists across the country took to the streets for the second consecutive day yesterday.

In the capital, Bangladesh Chhatra Union brought out a black-flag procession and marched towards the Prime Minister's Office to press home its demand for ending rape incidents.

But the procession was foiled by police near the Hotel Intercontinental intersection.

Students started gathering in front of the National Museum around 11:45am. They chanted slogans against the government and law enforcement agencies for their "inactive" role in stopping rapes.

Meghmallar Basu, assistant general secretary of the student body's Dhaka University unit, called for updating the related laws to contain the rape incidents. "Our rotten system helps producing rapists."

Around 1:15pm, students started their march from Shahbagh via TSC to the Prime Minister's Office.

When they reached near Hotel Intercontinental intersection, police put up barricades on the street.

Police and students had heated arguments there. At one stage, they pushed and shoved each other, leaving at least five students injured.

Failing to march towards the Prime Minister's Office, the agitated students chanted slogans against police on the spot.

Samajik Protirodh Committee, a platform of civil society, held a protest rally in front of the Jatiya Press Club.

Protesting the incidents of rape and violence against women, they said increase of violence against women was hampering their progress.

"A massive technological development has happened, but the mentality towards women is yet to be developed," they said.

"If the administration fails to prevent the criminal force who got political and administrative patronage, the incidents of violence will keep rising."

The event was presided over by acting president of Bangladesh Mahila Parishad Central Committee Fouzia Moslem, said a press release.

They also called for speedy trial of rape cases.

In Tangail, students of different educational institutions brought out a procession, formed a human chain and staged a sit-in in the town to protest the rape and barbaric torture on the woman in Noakhali's Begumganj.

Fatema Rahman Bithi, a student of Government Saadat College, Karatia, Tangail, came to the town's Central Shaheed Minar in the morning with placards bearing slogans against rape. Later, other students joined her.

"As a woman, I feel insecure and that's why I've started this sit-in to ensure our safety," she said.

Earlier, leaders and activists of Sadharon Chhatra-Jubo Odhikar Parishad staged demonstrations in the town, demanding exemplary punishment of the culprits of Noakhali rape incident and other such incidents.

In Chandpur, Badlao Youth Foundation formed a human chain in the town, seeking justice for the Noakhali rape victim.

There was widespread outrage on social media after the graphic video of a woman in Noakhali being gang-raped was uploaded and shared on Sunday.

The video also documents that sticks were used as instruments of torture when executing the action of rape and the whole gang of men aided and abetted each other in raping the woman.