JNU Students Protest at Midnight Over Sexual Harassment of Female Student

Students of Jagannath University (JNU) staged a protest march late Sunday night, demanding justice after a female student of the Department of Microbiology was sexually harassed. They called for a proper investigation and exemplary punishment for the perpetrators.

The protest march began around 11:45 p.m. on Sunday (October 26), circling Dhupkhola field in Dhaka.

Shahin Mia, member secretary of JNU unit of National Chhatra Shakti (formerly BAGCHAS) and a student of the History Department, said:“Since August 5, a culture of impunity has taken root. When an offender goes unpunished, others around him believe they too can commit crimes without consequences. That’s why university and college students are increasingly being targeted and harassed.”

Masud Rana, a Physics student and central member of Bangladesh Against Poverty (Up Bangladesh), said:“Most JNU students live in rented houses and work as private tutors to cover expenses. But even during tutoring, female students are not safe—they are being harassed. We urge the administration to immediately arrest and punish those responsible.”

Ivon Tahsib, president of the JNU unit of Socialist Students’ Front, said:“In the 20 years of this university’s history, we have never faced incidents like this. But lately, harassment against students has increased. Since July, there have been attempts to pit students against locals. Today’s incident may be part of that pattern. We demand that the harasser be arrested without delay.”

Shamsul Arefin, member secretary of the JNU unit of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s student wing, said:“Wherever our sisters are harassed, we will be there immediately. For the safety of all JNU students, we are united. To all perpetrators we say—change your ways now, or rot in jail.”

According to police, the incident occurred around 8:00 p.m. on Sunday when the victim went to give private tuition in the Distillery Road area of Gandaria, near Fazlur Rahman Nursing and Midwifery Institute. She filed a complaint with Gandaria Police Station around 10:45 p.m. the same night.

Khaborwala / MAZ