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At Dhaka University, Zarin Rafiza, a student of the Women and Gender studies Department took part in a protest against the recent incidents of rapes and assault of women in Bangladesh, including that of an 8-year-old girl.
"We want to see action against rape and violence against women right now," she said. Rafiza is among the hundreds of students from universities across Bangladesh who have taken to the streets to boycott classes and exams to demand justice. An eight-year-old girl is now battling for her life after being raped in western Magura district. The child's condition is critical, and she is being treated at an army hospital in Dhaka. The incident has caused extreme anger among people across the country, with women activists urging for the death penalty for the rapists without delay. They also chanted slogans, "We want justice." "We are protesting here today for resisting the ongoing violence that has been happening all over the country, especially against women," Zarin Rafiza told ANI while standing in front of Oporajeyo Bangla, a sculpture of an invincible Bengal, at Dhaka University. "We are celebrating International Women's Day this month. We have seen that the violence that has been perpetrated against women has been going on for a very long time. The issue of 5th August is not important right now because we have to resist the issue of violence that has been going on, and we have to resist the violence that has been happening," she added. In August 2024, a student-led movement led to the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina after weeks of protests and violence. According to a UN fact-finding assessment report, as many as 1,400 people could have been killed during the protests. Hasina, 76, fled to India, and an interim government led by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus was subsequently formed. "We have been silent for a very long time. We have not seen any visible step taken by the government to resist or demolish the violence that has been happening," Rafiza said. "We don't really believe words anymore. We want action, honestly. Whatever they have talked about, it's very important to implement those starting today, starting this moment. We demand justice from this moment onwards. We want change from this moment onwards because justice is being delayed for a very long time. We see no hope at this moment. We see justice will be served at this moment in the present context of the country," she added. The present interim government has promised to quicken the investigation process amid nationwide protests against rape and violence against women. "The accused cannot be granted bail on the pretext of not completing the trial within 90 days," Asif Nazrul, law adviser to the interim government, said. Women claim that rape and violence against women have increased after the changeover in August last year in Bangladesh. "We need reform of the law; we need reform in the mindset of people. Unfortunately, we live in a patriarchal society where the institutions, the laws, religion--everything is kind of exploited to derogate, normalise, and perpetuate violence against women. We need reforms in every single sphere of society," Rafiza said. They have recommended changing the definition of rape. "We have strongly recommended that religion should not be used as a tool to normalise or to perpetuate violence against women. That is very important because we have seen the religious leaders have been instigating violence against women through their sermons or the expressions they talk. Definitely, we want that to stop," Rafiza said. (ANI)
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