Students present 6 demands, including public punishment for rapists

Students protesting at Shahbagh in the capital on Tuesday presented a six-point charter of demands, including ensuring public punishment for rapists.

They staged a demonstration at Shahbagh to voice their demands. Later, upon police request, the protesters moved in front of the National Museum.

Protesting against the rape of a child in Magura and the increasing violence against women nationwide, students gathered in front of the National Museum at Shahbagh at around 11:30am, chanting various slogans.

As time passed, students from at least 30 educational institutions in the capital joined the protest, increasing the size of the rally. They had assured the police that they would not move towards Shahbagh intersection and would remain in front of the museum.

Accordingly, law enforcement personnel remained alert around the museum and Shahbagh area.

However, at around 1:30pm, some students suddenly bypassed police vigilance and sat down at the Shahbagh intersection, while others blocked traffic and continued chanting slogans.

At that moment, police officials persuaded the students to leave the Shahbagh intersection, and after 15 minutes, they returned to the front of the museum. However, before leaving, they presented their six demands.

Md Nakib Sadat, a student of Birshreshtha Munshi Abdur Rouf College, addressed the students via a microphone, saying: "The number of rape cases in the country has significantly increased. We had high expectations from this government, but we are increasingly losing hope. That is why we are holding this blockade today. We present six demands to the government, which must be accepted immediately."

Their demands are as follows:

1. Rapists must be punished in public to set a strong precedent in society.
2. A zero-tolerance policy must be adopted against rapists.
3. Within 24 hours of any rape, the rapist must be arrested, medical reports must be prepared, and victim and witness testimonies must be recorded. Within the next 15 working days, based on proper evidence, the rapist must be sentenced to death. Any inconsistencies in this process will not be acceptable. To expedite rape case proceedings, the number of laboratories for testing sperm from both male and female victims should be increased.
4. Rape cases cannot be settled through arbitration. Only the state can ensure justice for such crimes. Arbitration-based verdicts must be legally prohibited.
5. If a minor or an adult commits rape, the highest punishment should be the death penalty, with a minimum sentence of life imprisonment.
6. All ongoing rape cases must be resolved within 30 working days by setting up separate tribunals. The law and home ministries must be held accountable for ensuring this process.

Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Ramna Division Police, Md. Masud Alam, said: "According to their announcement, the students were supposed to hold their demonstration in front of the National Museum. However, at one point, they blocked the Shahbagh intersection. When we explained the public inconvenience issue, they understood and returned to their previous location. They are now stationed in front of the National Museum."

As of 3:30pm, students were still protesting in front of the National Museum and said that they would continue their demonstration until the evening.