An act of barbarism took place again and this time it happened in the life of a female student of Dhaka University. She lost almost everything in her life as she was brutally violated by a pervert.
The question arises in the minds of conscious people of the country as to how long it will continue. And how many women have to incur such barbaric act?
The girl, a second-year student of Dhaka University, faced the heinous incident while she was walking from Kurmitola bus stop to one of her friend’s house in a nearby area at around 7:30 pm on Monday . Later, some of her fellow students and DU employees rescued her and rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital around midnight. She is now undergoing treatment there. The DMCH authorities on Monday formed a medical board for better treatment of the girl.
Soon after the disclosure of such a shocking incident, all the students of the university as well as the people of the country burst into protest. They continued their protest demanding punishment of the culprits and also to stop such barbaric acts at once.
As per the statement of the victim, soon after she got down from the university bus, someone grabbed her from behind and took her into a roadside bush, which is an isolated place, where she was raped and tortured.
Assistant Sub-inspector Abdul Kahan at DMCH police outpost said the 21-year-old girl, who appeared to be traumatised and disoriented at the hospital, told her fellow students that she fainted at the time and regained consciousness after 10:00 pm. She then called her friends who rescued her and brought her to DMCH.
Being informed of such shocking incident, DU Proctor and teachers visited the girl at the hospital. The crime scene, where the girl was raped, was seen strewn with evidence ranging from undergarments to respiratory inhalers.
Inspector Aminul Islam Khan of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) visited the spot on Sunday night and scanned the area.
A pair of gabardine pants, one undergarment, a key ring, two respiratory inhalers, some medicines (for the common cold), one ballpoint pen and a notebook were found from the spot, the official said.
A guard stationed at the Army Golf Club said that the area usually had a lot of pedestrians owing to the Kurmitola Medical College and presence of bus stops nearby. However, he was not on duty when the incident took place.
Doctors have found the evidence of rape after a forensic test of the student of Dhaka University, said Brig Gen AKM Nasir Uddin, director of DMCH.
Sohel Mahmud, head of the Forensic Medicine Department at Dhaka Medical College, said, “There is a fingerprint on her throat. It is believed that an attempt was made to strangle her. There are signs of injuries on the hands and feet. There are wounds all over the foot. Rape in the bushes might have caused the scars,” he said.
Following the incident, activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), Santrash Birodhi Chhatra Oikya, a new alliance of 12 student organisations of Dhaka University, and all other general students of the DU staged a demonstration on Sunday midnight. They demanded justice for the girl and demanded highest punishment to the culprit.
The Santrash Birodhi Chhatra Oikya blocked Shahbagh intersection protesting the rape of the university student. It also put a 48-hour ultimatum to the Dhaka University and other authorities concerned for arresting the rapist.
“We will announce tougher programme if the rapist is not arrested within 48 hours,” said Dhaka University Central Students' Union (DUCSU) Vice President Nurul Haque Nur while speaking at a sit-in in front of the Raju Sculpture at TSC.
Meanwhile, nearly 500-600 leaders and activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League formed a human chain in front of Raju Sculpture around 10:45am on Monday demanding arrest and punishment of the “rapist”.
Demanding arrest and punishment of the rapist, a group of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal also staged protest at the foot of Aparajeyo Bangla on the campus till 12noon on Monday.
Meanwhile, around one hundred students of Jagannath University (JnU) brought out a procession and formed a human chain on the campus protesting the rape incident.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh Mahila Parishad, a national non-political and voluntary women's organisation, formed a human chain near Raju Sculpture on DU campus around 3:40pm. It also demanded immediate arrest of the alleged rapist and his exemplary punishment.
