Leftist student organizations staged a mass procession towards the Ministry of Home Affairs on Monday, demanding the resignation of Home Adviser Lieutenant General (Retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury for his failure to ensure public safety, but were intercepted by police in front of Shikkha Bhaban.
Around 2:35pm, the procession began at the Central Shaheed Minar under the banner of "Bangladesh Against Rape and Oppression."
Participants carried placards with slogans such as “Tear down the system that shelters rapists,” “Awaken, mother, daughter, sister, wife,” and “Step down, Home Adviser Jahangir,” among more.
The protesters said immediate and effective measures must be taken to stop the ongoing incidents of rape and violence against women across the country, ensure justice for all cases of rape and oppression, and make rational amendments to the relevant laws.
However, they emphasized that the home adviser must first resign.
Tilottoma Iti, a student of Eden Mohila College, voiced her frustration in front of Shikkha Bhaban, saying: “Why is the police stopping us? They fail to restrain rapists and criminals, yet they think they can stop us? The home adviser will not be able to escape from us.”
Accusing the police of manhandling female protesters, she added: “There is not a single female police officer in this force. Yet, here we are, a procession full of women. This is a women’s movement. These male police officers have laid hands on us. We strongly condemn this.”
Before the procession began, Dhaka University student Seema Akter spoke at the Shaheed Minar, saying: “We, as women, have joined this movement. But after protesting, we face mockery in various ways. We were unsafe during the Awami League government, but why are we still unsafe now?”
She added: “We fear walking on the streets. We even feel unsafe on our own campus. This is not the kind of state we wanted.
"This interim government took office promising a Bangladesh free of discrimination. But this home adviser has failed to ensure our safety. That is why we demand his resignation for his failure. Our movement will continue until he steps down.”
