Assault on female students on rise on JU campus

In the latest incident on Monday, a group of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) cadres led by Sayeed, a student of Economics department, Shafiq, a student of Urban and Planning department and Sajib, a student of Statistics department, swooped on three students near Social Science faculty on the campus, as they protested assault of a female student whom Sayeed used to tease.

The victims include Rubaiyat, a student of Anthropology, Ishrat Zahan Popy, convener of Bangladesh Chhatra Federation (BCF), JU and Mahbub Iran, member secretary of BCF.

Protest processions were brought out on the campus yesterday and on Monday evening demanding punishment of the attackers.

The platform under the banner of 'Students against Repression on JU Campus' will submit a memorandum to the vice chancellor today demanding cancellation of the studentship of the prime culprit Sayeed and formulation of rules against sexual harassment and repression.

Sayeed, who is loyal to JU JCD General Secretary Nazmul Hasan Ovi group and an accused in mugging incidents on campus, used to pester and tease the female student in public, as she rejected his proposal for love affair, forcing the family members of the victim to escort her on the campus during classes and examinations.

When asked, JCD leader Ovi said, "Sayeed is a JCD activist but does not belong to my group as there is no grouping in JCD."

When contacted, Proctor Prof Mohammad Kamrul Ahsan said, "We will look into the incident sincerely as we have already found some allegations against the accused true".

In June this year, two female students of Jahanara Imam hall were injured when two unidentified youth attacked them with kitchen knife entering their dormitory at midnight.

JCD cadres injured more than five female students during an anti-Shibir campaign in April this year while several others were assaulted by JCD cadres on the campus in the last few months.

In the face of mass movement, authorities were forced to remove Tanvir Ahmad, a teacher of the Department of Business Administration, who was proved to have behaved indecently with female students of the department.

Apart from this single instance, none gets punishment or is served with caution notices despite submission of written allegations. Even probe reports except one in JI hall were not made public.