Abu Jakir :
The country witnessed widespread street protests on Sunday as thousands of citizens, including students and women, took to the streets in response to a series of brutal sexual assaults, particularly the alarming increase in child rape cases.
The outrage was particularly fuelled by the assault of an eight-year-old girl in Magura, allegedly by her sister’s father-in-law, which occurred three days prior.
The growing number of such cases has triggered public anger, prompting protests in various parts of the country.
Human rights groups have strongly condemned the recent incidents, demanding swift justice and stricter laws.
The protests, held in multiple cities and towns, saw demonstrators calling for the harshest punishments for perpetrators of sexual violence.
Amid the rising public unrest, the government has taken a firm stance against mob violence and extrajudicial actions.
At a press briefing at the Ministry of Law on Sunday, Mahfuz Alam, adviser to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, announced that authorities would no longer tolerate any form of mob justice.
“From now on, the government will take a strict stance against all forms of mob violence,” Alam declared.
“Regardless of identity, anyone involved in such acts will face legal consequences.”
The announcement followed a high-level meeting on law and order at the state guest house Jamuna, attended by Chief Advisor Professor Muhammad Yunus.
The press briefing was organised to communicate the government’s decisions stemming from that discussion.
Alam stressed the government’s commitment to upholding the rule of law.
“The law is blind and applies equally to all. It will not discriminate based on race, religion, gender, or ethnicity.
Whoever commits an offence, whoever engages in mob justice-whether religious or non-religious-will be brought under the law,” he stated.
Home Adviser Lt. Gen. (Retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury reinforced the government’s zero-tolerance policy against rape. “There is no place for rapists in this country.
Those involved in sexual violence will be brought to justice and given the harshest punishment,” he said at a separate media briefing.
Public outrage manifested in a series of protests in various regions.
In Jhenaidah, hundreds formed a human chain and held a rally in front of Kaliganj Bus Stand, demanding exemplary punishment for sexual offenders.
Protesters asserted that rapists have no social or political identity and should be treated as criminals of the worst kind.
Similar demonstrations took place in Cumilla, where students and young activists organised a rally at Chandina-Bagur Bus Stand. The protest drew a massive crowd, causing significant traffic disruption along the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway.
Md Rabbi, convener of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement’s Chandina Municipality unit, called for immediate government action to curb sexual violence.
In Tangail, protesters marched from Ghatail Upazila Parishad Chattar to the central Shaheed Minar, holding a sit-in demonstration.
Student leaders Rakibul Islam Rakib, Dewan Saiful Islam, and Arifur Islam, among others, addressed the gathering, demanding harsher penalties for offenders.
At Rajshahi University, students organised a protest procession, urging authorities to enhance the security of women and children. The march, which began at Zoha Chattar, covered key areas of the campus before concluding at its starting point.
Jahangirnagar University (JU) students escalated their demonstration by blocking the Dhaka-Aricha Highway early in the morning, disrupting traffic for an hour.
The protest followed a predawn march from Shaheed Rafique-Jabbar Hall. “An eight-year-old child in Magura was raped last Thursday.
On Saturday, a young man raped a third-grade girl in Gazipur and even recorded the crime on his smartphone,” JU student Nazmul Islam stated during the protest, adding that the failure to ensure justice in past cases has emboldened perpetrators.
In Magura, social activists under the banner of Samajik Andolan submitted a memorandum to the deputy commissioner, urging maximum punishment for those responsible for the rape of the eight-year-old girl.
The protest march later culminated in a rally where several prominent women’s rights activists, including Nari Nirjatan Pratirodh Committee general secretary Alpona Begum and Nari Pragati Sangha manager Mrinal Kanti Sarker, demanded stronger action against sexual violence.
At Islamic University (IU) in Kushtia, students staged a protest and briefly blockaded the Khulna-Kushtia Highway.
Over a hundred students gathered at the university’s Bottola area before marching through campus roads and later assembling at the main entrance. “The rape of a child is a disgrace to our society.
We demand exemplary punishment for the rapists so that no one dares to commit such heinous acts in the future,” IU student Sadia Mahmud Mim declared.
