Chhatra Union launches campaign to muster public support against sex assault

Bangladesh Chhatra Union yesterday launched a countrywide campaign to collect 10 lakh signatures from the masses in support of its six-point demand over prevention of sexual harassment of females.

Professor Emeritus Serajul Islam Choudhury inaugurated the 15-day campaign, till June 1, at Aparajeya Bangla of Dhaka University.

He said the state had completely failed to give security to its people. The molestation on Pahela  Baishakh reflects a society, where no female is safe and justice is elusive, he added.

Referring to the sex assault on a schoolgirl at Mohammadpur Preparatory School, Prof Serajul said, "Schoolgirls are not safe on their campus. Even they fall victim to harassment by teachers. Because the perpetrators have strong political clout, they escape punishment."

After mustering people's support through the campaign, Chhatra Union will submit a memorandum to the prime minister seeking measures for implementation of its demands.

"Hopefully, we can get all the people united to raise voices against molestation by this signature campaign," said Mujahidul Islam Selim, president of the Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB).

On April 14, some youths sexually assaulted around 20 females on DU campus for an hour, but the DU proctor and police on duty nearby allegedly did not respond in time.

Moreover, Chhatra Union activists protesting police failures to arrest the molesters were beaten up by cops on May 10 when they tried to besiege the Dhaka Metropolitan Police headquarters.

The demands of the left-leaning student organisation include immediate arrest of the molesters, removal of the proctor and punishment for the cops for negligence on that day, and enforcement of the 2009 High Court guideline to prevent harassment at education institutions.

Salma Begum, director of the geophysics department at the mineral resources ministry, said the guideline aimed to stop all forms of harassment including stalking.

Ex-professor of Notre Dame College AN Rasheda criticised the police chief's comments on the April 14 attack as irresponsible and said he never would have said that had his family member been a victim of that assault.

On May 12, Inspector General of Police AKM Shahidul Hoque referred to the sex assault as "three or four boys making mischief."