Rally demands punishment to perpetrators

Police have stopped protesters from marching towards the Ministry of Home Affairs to demand arrest and punishment of group molesters, reports bdnews24.com.

The sexual assault on women took place during Bengali New Year celebrations at Dhaka University.

On Wednesday, a rally organised by Pragatishil Chhatra Jote (Progressive students' alliance) and Samrajyabadbirodhi Chhatra Oikya (Anti-imperialist students' unity) marched from the campus towards Doyel Chattar.

Police barricade protesters when they reached Shishu Academy.

But the agitating students removed the barricade and continued the march.

However, when they reached the High Court area, law enforcers again stopped them.

The protesters demonstrated there and held a brief rally where Bangladesh Chhatra Union President Hasan Tarek criticised police for failing to detain the assaulters.

"The very people against whom we are seeking justice are thwarting our movement," he said.

General Secretary of Bangladesh Chhatra Federation Ashraful Alam Sohel accused the law enforcers of being 'involved in the oppression.'

Samajtantrik Chhatra Front's President Janardan Dutta Nantu commented on the law enforcers' 'incapability' to catch the harassers.

"When we are fighting against the crime, the ministry and law-enforcing agencies are failing to provide us security."

On May 10, the left-leaning student organisations took out a protest march towards the DMP headquarters demanding the arrest and punishment of the perpetrators.