Dhaka: The Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) on Friday held a protest procession demanding justice for victims of rape and violence across Bangladesh, including Narsingdi district, warning that widespread resistance would follow if justice is not delivered.
The procession began on Friday afternoon from the central mosque of Dhaka University and concluded at the Raju Sculpture in the university campus, local media reported.
During the protest march, DUCSU leaders raised slogans including “Give women strength, or step down from power”; “Ensure women’s safety, or step down from power”; “Tarique Rahman, end rape”; “In my golden Bengal, there is no place for rapists”; “The whole country is awash in blood, the Prime Minister is doing fine”; and “From Asiya to Nandini, we have not seen justice,” among others.
DUCSU General Secretary S M Farhad warned Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Tarique Rahman that if he wishes to remain in power, he must take decisive actions against extortionists and rapists. Farhad stated that if Rahman does not act, and if Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leaders continue to shelter perpetrators, the protest from the university campus could escalate to the grassroots, Bangladeshi daily ‘Dhaka Tribune’ reported.
Addressing the BNP, Farhad threatened that if steps are not taken, campuses nationwide would unite to mobilise the students and public against rape syndicates.
Last month, citing police statistics, local media reported that an alarming rise in crime rates in 2025 across Bangladesh, with women and children bearing the brunt of the violence, while incidents such as murder, banditry, and mob violence were also prominently recorded.
According to analysts, the spike in crime rate stemmed from the law and order challenges after the former Muhammad Yunus-led interim government assumed power following the ouster of the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government.
Citing police crime statistics, Bangladesh’s Bengali daily ‘Bonik Barta’ reported that a total of 1,81,737 cases, including rescue-related cases, were registered in 2025, some of which related to incidents from 2024.
The figures revealed that the highest number of cases involved violence against women and children.
Last year, police registered 21,936 cases of violence against women and children across Bangladesh, followed by 12,740 theft cases and 3,785 murder cases.
The incidents of banditry were also significant, with police records showing 1,935 banditry cases registered throughout the year.
Bangladesh faced escalating violence and a severe law and order situation throughout the 18-month tenure of the Yunus-led interim government.
(IANS)
