Protests across country

Protests against the growing incidents of rape, sexual harassment and violence against women continued for the second consecutive day on Tuesday.

The recent gang-rape incident at Sylhet MC College and housewife molestation in Begumganj of Noakhali fueled the protests.

People took to the streets and social networking sites to register their strong protests. Women blacked out their FB profile photos condemning the incidents of violence against women. Some male FB users also joined the protest programme.

Protesting the incidents, a cross-section of people, including students, across the country staged demonstrations, demanding punishment of the rapists.

Police arrested two more suspects including a local UP member in a case filed over the horrific torture of a housewife in Begumganj upazila of Noakhali district.

With these, six people have so far been arrested in this connection.

The arrestees are-Moazzem Hossain Shohag, member of No 9 ward of Eklshpur union and Saju, 21, son of Lokman of the same union.

Md Harun-Or-Rashid, officer-in-charge of Begumganj Police Station, said police arrested Saju from Shahbagh area in the capital early Tuesday morning and Shohag from No 9 ward of the union.

The OC said that they arrested the UP member following the statement of the victim.

Nearly a hundred protesters, mainly leaders and activists of left-leaning student organisations, including Chhatra Union, Socialist Student Front and citizens, took positions at Shahbagh intersection under the banner of "Bangladesh for Anti-Rapists" carrying posters and chanting slogans demanding exemplary punishment for the rapists.

Protesters brought out a black flag rally, demanding justice for rapes and other forms of sexual violence.

As they started a march towards the Prime Minister's Office, the procession was obstructed by the police, which escalated to scuffles between the protesters and law-enforcers.

The police at one point clubbed the protesters.