People from various quarters gathered at Shahbagh intersection on Monday to protest rapes across Bangladesh, including the incident of a woman being stripped naked and tortured in Noakhali.
A group of protesters, mostly left leaning activists, began the demonstrations in front of the National Museum with the banner, "Bondi Somoyer Chitkar," around 11:15pm on Monday.
People from different walks of life joined the demonstration, restricting traffic movement in that area and causing a lot of suffering to commuters.
Protesters chant anti-rape slogans at Shahbagh, Dhaka on Monday; October 5, 2020 Mahmud Hasan Opu/Dhaka Tribune
The protesters demanded the resignation of the home minister for his failure to stop the incidents of rape and oppression of women across the country. They said ruling party men are involved in most of the cases, from Sylhet's MC College to Noakhali's Begumganj.
Bangladesh Chhatra Odhikar Parishad brought out a protest rally from Shabagh to Katabon and blamed the government for the rise in rape incidents across the country.
Also read - 2 more arrested for stripping naked, torturing woman in Noakhali
Leaders and activists of Chhatra Union and the Shahbagh Against Oppression platform also took part in the demonstrations.
Protestor wearing a mask that says 'Smash the patriarchy' at Shahbagh intersection Mehedi Hasan/Dhaka Tribune
Liton Nandi, former general secretary of Chhatra Union, said that at present, rape in the country has turned into a power disorder rather than a sexual or biological assualt alone. “You will notice that leaders and activists of the ruling party's student and youth organizations are involved in almost every rape case that has taken place in recent times.”
He strongly protested the home minister's statement that "rape is happening all over the world" and said that such remarks of the home minister prove that he has completely failed.
“We don't want to see this failed home minister again,” he said.
Ganasamhati Andolan’s chief coordinator, Zonayed Saki, who also joined the protest, said that rape one after another is happening across the country.
“We are utterly haunted by the incident in Noakhali,” he said.
He said such rapes are an expression of the socio-political power relations in a patriarchal state and society.
Nurul Haque Nur, former VP of Dhaka University Central Students' Union (DUCSU), said: “There is no time left; we have our back to the wall now. Now a united fight is needed.
Protester holds up a banner at Shahbagh intersection Mehedi Hasan/Dhaka Tribune
Jahar Lal Roy, president of the Dhaka city unit of Chhatra Union, said that if an incident of rape goes viral, it should be discussed, investigated, and people should be arrested.
“But the trials go on year after year. The rapists got out of jail by showing their power. We don't want to see this scene anymore,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Student Rights Council, Chhatra Dal and students of Noakhali Subarnachar area studying at Dhaka University (DU), have also demonstrated under separate banners at Shahbagh and DU premises.
Also Read- 4 women raped every day on average in Bangladesh amid Covid-19 pandemic
Naripokkho, a women's activist organization, on Monday issued a statement protesting the series of rapes and sexual harassments, including the one in Noakhali.
Hefazat demands exemplary punishment of culprits
Junaid Babunagari, secretary general of the radical Islamist group Hefazat-e-Islam, on Sunday condemned the incident of the stripping and molestation of a housewife in Noakhali.
Issuing a media release, Babunagari also demanded bringing the culprits behind the horrific incident to justice and meting out the highest punishment to them.
HC directs BTRC to remove video footage
The High Court has directed the chairman of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) to immediately remove video footage of the assault of a woman in Noakhali.
The court has ordered the government to form a three member committee to inquire into the incident.
The High Court's virtual bench of Justice Mujibur Rahman Miah and Justice Mohiuddin Shamim issued the voluntary (suo moto) order and rule on Monday after hearing from senior lawyers of the Supreme Court Bar Association.
632 rape incidents between April and August this year
632 rape incidents took place between April and August this year, according to statistics compiled from various media reports by human rights organization Ain o Salish Kendra.
It means that on average, four women have been raped every day in the last five months of the coronavirus pandemic.
There have also been 142 incidents of attempted rape in the same time frame. At least 29 people died and five committed suicide after rape.
On September 2, the woman from Noakhali’s Begumganj upazila was stripped naked and violated by some local miscreants and a video of the barbaric incident went viral on the internet on Sunday.
The incident sparked widespread outrage on social media.
So far, four men, including the prime accused, have been arrested for the incident.
Our staff reporters-- Mizanur Rahman, Dhaka and Anwar Hussain, Chittagong -- contributed to the story
