Protesters clash with police near Shahbagh

Protesters demanding justice for recent rapes and other crimes against women and girls clashed with law enforcers in the city on Tuesday while trying to cross a police barricade in the area of the InterContinental Dhaka hotel.

The protesters demanded maximum punishment for those guilty in the crimes including the incident in which an eight-year-old child was raped in Magura.

Previously, the court ordered the Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal in Magura to finish the trial of the case within 180 days after taking the charge sheet into cognizance.

The protesters had taken out a procession from Dhaka University's Raju Sculpture towards state guest house Jamuna, the chief adviser's residence. The police stopped them as soon as the procession reached the intersection of the Intercontinental Dhaka hotel from Shahbagh.

Several policemen and some of the protesters were injured after both parties got involved into a scuffle.

While protesters proceeded forward crossing the police barricade, the law-enforcers baton charged to disperse them.

The protesters raised slogans demanding the resignation of Home Affairs Adviser Jahangir Alam Chowdhury from the procession.

The protesters, under the banner "Bangladesh against rape and torture", alleged that police foiled their peaceful march.

However, rejecting the allegation, police said that the area, now under Section 144, is not allowed for protest.

Five among the protesters were allowed to leave to submit a memorandum after police dispersed their procession.

Ramna Police Station Officer-in-Charge Golam Faruk said that the protesters attacked the police and injured five police personnel, including the Assistant Commissioner of Ramna area. "The police tried to stop them."

Meanwhile, students from a number of colleges in Dhaka gathered in Shahbagh with the same demand for justice and punishment for perpetrators of violence against women.

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