Students of Motijheel High School and College and Ideal School and College have held a sit-in protest at Shapla Chattar intersection in Dhaka’s Motijheel, demanding punishment of those involved in raping and torturing of women and girls.
Women hold a sit-in demonstration in front of Sonali Bank at Shapla Chattar intersection of Motijheel on Sunday, October 11, 2020 | Dhaka TribuneSeveral hundred students of the two institutions took to the street around 1:30pm on Sunday and demonstrated after putting up barricades on the road, said Motijheel police OC Monir Hossain Mollah, reports UNB.
Vehicular movement on roads towards Dainik Bangla, Arambagh and Ittefaq intersection from the capital’s business hub remained suspended for nearly three hours during the protest.
The students also shouted slogans amid rain after blocking the road.
They, however, called off the demonstration for the day and left the area around 4pm, Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Motijheel Division Additional Deputy Commissioner Enamul Haque Mithu told Dhaka Tribune.
Men and women holding placards and shouting slogans block vehicular movement at Shapla Chattar intersection of Motijheel on Sunday, October 11, 2020 | Dhaka Tribune
Soon after, vehicular movement returned to normal, he added.
Protesters including students, leaders and activists of different organizations have been demonstrating around the country for the past week over the growing incidents of rape, sexual harassment and violence against women and children in Bangladesh.
The recent incidents of gang rape at Sylhet’s MC College and a housewife’s molestation in Begumganj of Noakhali had fuelled the protests.
The demonstrators are demanding exemplary punishment and speedy trial of the rapists.