A group of female Dhaka University students under the banner of Oborodhbashini held a solidarity rally at the Raju Sculpture on Monday, demanding the abolition of the evening curfew in female residential halls.
The curfew currently restricts female students from entering or leaving their halls between 10pm and 6am.
The rally was organized by the Oborodhbashini platform, with solidarity expressed by the University Teachers’ Network, left-leaning student organizations and feminist groups.
Female students have been protesting for the past few days, demanding the withdrawal of the curfew from the university’s female residential halls.
The protesters have collected consent signatures from students and submitted memorandums to the vice-chancellor twice, outlining three demands. On Sunday, they issued a 48-hour ultimatum, warning that they would announce tougher programs if their demands were not addressed.
Their demands include the immediate abolition of the 10pm-6am curfew in female halls, along with ensuring 24-hour unrestricted movement and overall security for female students.
They also demanded that female students be allowed to enter any female hall by showing a valid ID card and stay overnight with proper permission, and that female relatives be allowed to enter the halls.
Speaking at the rally, Shirin Haque of Naripakkha, a women's rights platform, said the curfew had previously been imposed from 6pm to 6am.
“We protested at that time, and then the time was set to 10pm to 6am. We were able to extend the time, but the discrimination still continues,” she said.
Expressing solidarity on behalf of the University Teachers’ Network, Dhaka University Economics Department Associate Professor Rushad Faridi said the demand had been raised for many years.
“There is no doubt that this is a highly discriminatory rule. We have now moved from July into August. Following the July uprising of 2024, August marked the beginning of a new independence for us. Yet, even in this new Bangladesh, such a discriminatory and oppressive rule still remains. As teachers, this is deeply embarrassing for us,” he said.
He questioned why female students could return home late at night but were not allowed to return to campus after 10pm.
“If women can return to their homes at 11pm, midnight, or even 1am, why can’t they return to campus? What could be a greater example of discrimination than this? Does this mean that we, as university teachers, are incapable of ensuring the safety of our female students after 10pm? That seems to be the implication, doesn’t it?” he said.
Faridi called for the immediate repeal of the rule.
Under the existing rules, female DU students cannot enter or leave their halls between 10pm and 6am. If necessary, they must obtain prior permission from their house tutors through a late pass.
In emergencies, the authorities contact the students’ local guardians before allowing them to leave the halls.
