Protests demanding the resignation of home adviser retired Lieutenant General Jahangir Alam Chowdhury for his failure to ensure public safety widened, as students of different educational institutions in Dhaka and elsewhere in the country continued their demonstrations for the second day on Monday.
Students held a march towards the home affairs ministry, blocked highways, held rallies and torch processions to press home the demand.
Protesters said that deterioration in law and order situation and incidents like rape, attacks on and harassment of women, snatching, robbery, killing and extortion increased due to the failure of the adviser and the law enforcers.
They demanded the resignation of the home adviser and punishment for the law enforcers who failed to ensure security for people.
Students and people under the banner of Dhorshon o Nipironer Biruddhe Bangladesh (Bangladesh against rape and harassment) held a protest march from the Central Shaheed Minar in the capital Dhaka to the home ministry, demanding the聽 resignation of the adviser.
Police stopped the protesters at about 3:00pm in front of Shikkha Bhaban near the Bangladesh secretariat, where protesters gave a 24-hour ultimatum to press home their nine-point demand.
In addition to the home adviser鈥檚 resignation, the demands included the government taking effective steps to stop the current spate of rapes, violence against women, snatching and robbery across the country, immediate trial of all cases of rape and violence, and rational reforms of relevant laws.
Announcing the demands, Dhaka University Disaster Management Institute student Mishkat Tanisha alleged that police used force to halt the procession.
On behalf of the protesters, Jahangirnagar University student Adrita Roy announced the 24-hour ultimatum and urged the authorities to take action within the timeframe.
鈥榃e will organise tough programmes if our demands are not met within 24 hours,鈥� said Adrita.
Criticising the home adviser鈥檚 early Monday press conference, DU music department student Shima Akhter said, 鈥楬e talked like the previous government. We don鈥檛 want any blame game. We want to see their actions against crimes.鈥�
鈥楬e has failed completely to take actions to ensure public safety. He has lost his eligibility to remain as home adviser,鈥� said Shima.
The Democratic Student Alliance, a combine of seven student wings of left leaning political parties, held a rally on the Dhaka University campus, demanding the home adviser鈥檚 resignation and an end to violence against women and rape incidents across the country.
DU units of the Students鈥� Federation of Bangladesh and the Revolutionary Student Unity and Jahangirnagar University students under the banner of Nipironer Biruddhe Jahangirnagar (Jahangirnagar against harassment) held separate torch processions in the evening on the DU campus in the capital and on the JU campus at Savar.
A group of DU female students staged a separate protest march and a brief rally, demanding effective measures to stop the rising incidents of rape and violence against women, ensuring justice and the highest punishment for rapists, reported the DU correspondent.
A group of Jahangirnagar University students blocked the Dhaka-Aricha highway in front of the university for about half an hour, demanding the resignation of the home adviser, reported the JU correspondent.
The blockade from about 12:15pm to 12:45pm led to a significant traffic congestion on the Aricha-bound lane of the highway, causing delays for commuters and transport vehicles.
A group of Rajshahi University students organised a rally, protesting against the current spate of incidents of mugging and rapes across the country and demanding the resignation of the home adviser, reported 抖阴精品 staff correspondent in Rajshahai.
Mehedi Maruf, convener of RU unit Chhatra Odhikar Parishad, said, 鈥榃e want to tell the government that if you fail to fulfil your responsibilities, then resign. This country does not need an incompetent adviser like the home adviser who has failed to maintain law and order.鈥�
In Barishal, students of different educational institutions organised rallies, human chains and road blockades at different parts of the city, demanding the resignation of home adviser, reported 抖阴精品 correspondent in Barishal.
Students under the banner of Dharshon Birodhi Mancho (anti-rape platform) blocked the Barishal-Dhaka highway in Chowmatha area for half an hour, causing a severe traffic congestion.
The platform members also held a sit-in programme at Barishal Central Shaheed Minar.
Besides, students from different educational institutions in Barishal formed a human chain in Chowmatha area.
Students of University of Asia Pacific, Government Science College, Siddheswari Girls鈥� College and others staged demonstrations, protesting against the rising incidents of rape and the deterioration in law and order situation.
Protests erupted on Sunday and early Monday as students of different educational institutions in Dhaka and elsewhere in the country held demonstrations, protesting against the same issues.
A few hours after Dhaka University students early Monday held a protest procession on the campus demanding the home adviser鈥檚 resignation, the adviser at an emergency press conference at about 3:00am on Monday said that the deposed Awami League was responsible for the deterioration in law and order situation.
