JU students block road at demanding resignation of proctorial team over attempted rape incident

Jahangirnagar University (JU) campus has been in turmoil after a series of sexual harassment and attempted rape incidents. Leaders and activists of Jahangirnagar University Central Students' Union blocked the Dhaka-Aricha highway as the accused in the rape attempt was not arrested even after six days on Monday afternoon.

At the same time, Lamisha Zaman, a student of the history department, has been holding a solitary sit-in program on the balcony of the proctor's office since 2am on Sunday demanding the resignation of the proctorial team and strengthening the security of the university.

A university student was dragged from the road and taken into the dark in an attempted rape incident on the night of May 12. The next day, Sunday evening, an employee of the 'Petuk' hotel in the Battala area of ​​the campus, Md. Naeem, was accused of abusing and behaving inappropriately towards the two students and touching the victim in a bad manner. Accused Naeem was arrested and handed over to Ashulia Police Station, and on Monday, the university administration filed a sexual harassment case.

The OC of Ashulia Police Station confirmed that the accused in the case was arrested and sent to court.

Lamisha Zaman, who admitted responsibility for these two incidents, is continuing her sit-in demanding the resignation of the proctorial team. She said that she will not leave the sit-in until she receives the investigation report of the rape attempt and confirmation of the resignation of the proctorial team.

Meanwhile, at around 4:30pm on Monday, JACSU leaders and activists took out a protest procession from Shaheed Minar area to Dhaka-Aricha Highway. They blocked two lanes of the highway for 15 minutes at 4:40pm. At the rally, JACSU General Secretary Mazharul Islam said that the failure of both the law enforcement agencies and the university administration to arrest the accused despite the existence of clear CCTV footage and pictures even after 150 hours of the rape attempt.

Meanwhile, a group of students from the Department of Environmental Science held a protest and rally to protest the proctor's rude and disrespectful behavior. Students from AFM Kamaluddin Hall also formed a human chain to protest the same incident. In all the programs, the students demanded the speedy arrest and trial of the accused of the attempted rape.