Dhaka: Students of the Department of Environmental Sciences at Jahangirnagar University (JU) held a rally and formed a human chain on Monday, protesting the alleged misconduct towards university Proctor and department Chairman Prof Dr AKM Rashidul Alam. They demanded the immediate arrest and punishment of those accused in the attempted rape of a female student.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the protest began around 1:00 pm from the department premises and proceeded through various roads on the campus, concluding with a brief rally at the Shaheed Minar. The protesters voiced their demands with slogans such as ‘Justice, justice, we want justice’, ‘We will not accept the humiliation of the Proctor’, and ‘We will not tolerate the harassment of teachers.’
During the rally, Emon Molla, a student from the 51st batch, expressed that the delay in arresting the accused had led to frustration among students, urging for the highest punishment for the culprit. He also raised concerns that certain groups might be attempting to steer the movement in a political direction, calling for unity among students in their quest for justice.
Another student, Kamal Pasha, criticized the offensive language and disrespectful behavior directed towards teachers during recent protests, stating that such actions were unacceptable. The protesters demanded the immediate arrest of the accused, a fair trial, and the maintenance of a peaceful academic environment on campus.
The protest occurred in the context of allegations that a group of students used offensive slogans against the university Proctor and tried to harass him in front of the Proctor Office on Saturday night.