3 held over separate harassment incidents at JU; torch procession held
The protest erupted after fresh allegations of harassment of female students on campus, prompting demonstrations and renewed demands for stronger security measures
Students of Jahangirnagar University staged a torch procession and protest march last night (17 May) after university authorities detained three individuals over separate allegations of harassment on campus and handed them over to the police.
Police took them into custody around 9:20pm, said Ashulia Police Station Sub-Inspector Shafiul Alam Sohag.
He said one of the detainees was accused of harassing female students and making obscene remarks near the Islamnagar gate area of the campus.
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Another detainee, a campus shop employee, was accused of recording videos of protesting female students in front of the proctor's office without permission, he added.
Authorities also detained another individual near the new arts building area over allegations of making obscene gestures towards female students.
The torch procession began around 11pm from the university's proctor office and marched through Transport Chattar, Chourangi, the Jucsu building and the abandoned Fazilatunnesa Hall area before ending at Bottola.
Nazia Binte Shamsuddin, one of the protesting students, said they received reports of a female student being harassed in the Islamnagar area after concluding a programme at the administrative building.
"Later, after going to the proctor office, we saw two more harassers there. We became more vocal in protest at that point. At the same time, a campus employee was seen recording videos in an inappropriate manner," she said.
She alleged that repeated incidents of harassment and intimidation on campus had triggered renewed protests by female students.
The protesting students demanded stronger security measures and stricter action to ensure a safer environment for women on campus.
