Four students remanded over rape on JU campus

Four students of Jahangirnagar University (JU) were arrested on Saturday night for their alleged involvement in rape of a woman on the campus and they were placed on a three-day remand by a court on Sunday.
The arrestees were identified as Mostafizur Rahman, a 45th batch student of the International Relations Department and International Affairs Secretary of the JU unit Chhatra League, Sagar Siddique of the 46th batch, Hasanuzzaman of the 45th batch of the same department, and Sabbir Hasan Sagor, a 47th batch student of the Botany Department.
Md Murad and Mamunur Rashid are two other accused who are currently on the run; among the six, Mamunur Rashid is not a student of the university.
Abdullahil Kafi, additional superintendent of police (crime and obs) of Dhaka, confirmed this information at a press conference held on Sunday.
Earlier, the accused were arrested in late-night raids on Saturday.
After the press conference, the arrestees were sent to a Dhaka court.
During the press briefing, Mr Kafi stated that the victim's husband lodged a case with Ashulia Police Station, implicating six persons as suspects.
Mostafiz and Mamunur Rashid were accused of rape in the case while four others were charged with assault and aiding the accused in fleeing.
"The victim has been referred to the One Stop Crisis Centre at Dhaka Medical College Hospital for medical examination. The accused have been produced before a court seeking a 7-day remand," Mr. Kafi said.
Dhaka Senior Judicial Magistrate Rabeya Begum approved a three-day remand for the accused, Mustafizur, Sabbir Hasan, Sagar Siddique, and Hasanuzzaman.
JU Proctor ASM Firoz-ul-Hasan said, "We will cooperate with the police for any investigation conducted within the campus or any legal action taken against the culprits."
Earlier on Saturday, around 9:30 pm, Mostafizur Rahman and Mamunur Rashid Mamun, allegedly raped the woman inside the JU botanical garden, keeping her husband confined to the room no. 317 of Mir Mosharraf Hossain Hall of the university.
After the news of the incident spread, students brought out a protest procession front in front of Mir Mosharraf Hossain Hall on Saturday midnight.
The students also staged a sit-in demonstration there till morning.
On Sunday morning, the JU Bangla department held a human chain programme and a protest rally, joined by the university students.
The protestors laid a siege to the administrative building and placed a three-point demand to the vice-chancellor, that includes immediate filing of a case against the accused by the university, expulsion of the accused students, and suspension of the Syndicate meetings until the rape trial begins.
Professor Shamima Sultana, head of the Bangla department, said at the protest rally that the university administration remained mostly indifferent towards such incidents and did not take any effective action.
She added, "As the administration fails to address the offences committed by illegal students, they cannot be trusted in handling the fresh incident also."
She called for revocation of certificates of the accused students.
The JU pro-Awami League teachers' organisation, Bangabandhu Shikkhak Parishad, strongly condemned the rape incident and demanded severe punishment for the perpetrators.
In a circular signed by Bashir Ahmed, the organization's member secretary, they demanded the expulsion of all non-students within seven days, discontinuation of the Gono-room, augmenting campus security measures including CCTV surveillance, and stricter control of external entry points.
Labelling the incident as 'monstrous,' the JU Teachers' Association condemned it and called for exemplary punishment for those responsible.
Mostafizur Rahman, the international affairs secretary of JU Chattra League, was permanently expelled from the organisation on Sunday, following the temporary expulsion order and the university unit Chhatra League's recommendation on Saturday.
Additionally, supporters of Chhatra League General Secretary Habibur Rahman Liton formed a human chain at Shahid Minar on Sunday morning.
Later in the afternoon, another anti-rape human chain and protest rally took place in front of Mir Mosharraf Hossain Hall with the presence of JU Chhatra League president Aktaruzzaman Sohel.
Meanwhile, chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, Kamal Uddin Ahmed, has voiced grave concern over the gang-rape of the woman on the JU campus.
Ahmed conveyed this concern through a notification issued on Sunday, condemning such reprehensible acts within a university campus.
He emphasised the need to investigate the recurring incidents of rape and sexual harassment at the university and address the underlying causes.
Besides, students of Dhaka University organised a human chain on the campus demanding severe punishment to the perpetrators of rape.
OUR DU CORRESPONDENT adds: The DU students held the human chain programme at the base of the Raju Memorial Sculpture on the campus.
Participants at the programme said as many rape victims did not get justice in Bangladesh and they needed to go through a lengthy judiciary process, so the rapists got the courage to commit the same offence.
Aditi Islam, a student of Dhaka University, said, "The incident that happened in Jahangirnagar University is a reflection of the reluctance of our system towards justice for rape victims."
Mosaddek Ali, a student of Bangla Department, said, "I saw the reflection of the torture inflicted on our mothers and sisters by the Pakistani invaders in 1971 on the Jahangirnagar University campus yesterday. It is a university of an independent country. Those who are behind this incident should be brought to book."
The protesters also expressed solidarity with the students who are agitating on the JU campus demanding punishment for the accused rapists.

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