Jucsu leaders protest rapes, demand justice
The procession began in the university’s Bot Tola area at approximately 10:15pm and paraded through campus roads before returning to the starting point for a brief rally.
Leaders of the Jahangirnagar University Central Students' Union (Jucsu) held a protest march on campus last night (27 February), demanding exemplary punishment for those involved in a recent string of rapes and lawlessness across the country, including one in Narsingdi.
The procession began in the university's Bot Tola area at approximately 10:15pm and paraded through campus roads before returning to the starting point for a brief rally.
During the march, students were heard chanting slogans such as "Why is my sister raped? Tarique Rahman, we demand an answer," and "Inform all of Bengal, bury the rapists".
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Addressing the rally, Jucsu Executive Member Fabliha Jahan Nazia highlighted what she called an alarming rise in violence against women following the parliamentary election.
"We see our sisters and mothers being attacked and raped in broad daylight. We voted for this government to ensure justice, but the government is failing us. Instead, it stands by those responsible for the violence currently engulfing the country," she said.
She directly urged Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to bring the perpetrators to justice to prove the administration is on the "right track".
Jucsu Assistant General Secretary (Male) Ferdous Al Hassan said, "Whether they [criminals] belong to Jamaat or the BNP, their only identity is that of a rapist or a murderer."
He further called for the independence of law enforcement agencies to break the culture where prime ministerial intervention is required for every investigation.
Ferdous warned that if the police are not allowed to function independently, a new "fascist era" could emerge.
Towards the end of the rally, Jucsu General Secretary Md Mazharul Islam identified the lack of exemplary punishment and the absence of moral education as the primary reasons for the surge in sexual violence.
The Shibir-backed student leader also expressed strong condemnation over what he termed the chaotic post-election situation, including the suppression of dissenting voices and the reopening of offices belonging to the activities-banned Awami League.
Referring to a recent incident in Narsingdi where a child was reportedly snatched from her father's arms, raped, and murdered, Mazharul said the prime minister cannot evade responsibility.
"You have assumed power, be it through engineering or otherwise. Now, control your grassroots workers and show that you can bring these rapists to justice. If you fail, you will turn into just another failed government," he claimed.
