DU no longer safe for women, allege female students

Dhaka University is no longer women-friendly, said Sanjana Chowdhury Ratri, Vice-President of the Sufia Kamal Hall parliament.

On Sunday, June 28, a group of female students under the banner 'Female Students of Dhaka University' submitted a memorandum to the university proctor demanding three measures, including making the campus women-friendly and protesting the harassment of an alumni couple at Dr Muhammad Shahidullah Hall.

After submitting the memorandum around 11:00 am, they held a brief press conference at the proctor's office.

"The university is no longer women-friendly. A group is making various efforts to restrict women's movement and participation," said Ratri.

She said they submitted several demands to the proctor after watching a football match together.

Hema Chakma, an executive member of Dhaka University Central Students' Union (DUCSU), said they had been writing on social media about the harassment of women for two days. "But we have not seen any stance from the DUCSU VP on this matter. Instead, we have seen close photos of the DUCSU VP with those who committed the harassment," she said.

The students' demands include: a neutral investigation into the harassment, punitive action against the accused, clear policies and effective measures against harassment, secret filming and mob culture, and ensuring that no administrative or residential decisions discriminate against women.

On June 26, six alumni, including a couple from the 2017-18 session, were allegedly harassed while watching the Norway-France football match at Dr Muhammad Shahidullah Hall.