Photo: Collected
Students from 30 colleges in the capital are staging a day long sit-in at Shahbag, demanding the maximum punishment for perpetrators of violence, rape, and torture against women. Gathering in front of the National Museum from around 11:30am today (11 March), students arrived in small processions. Law enforcement agencies took a vigilant stance, deploying additional police personnel throughout the area.
Participants included students from Viqarunnisa Noon School and College, Birshreshtha Munshi Abdur Rouf Public College, Birshreshtha Noor Mohammad Public College, Dhaka City College, Dhanmondi Ideal College, Dhaka Residential Model College, Notre Dame College, Dhaka College, and several other institutions.
Most of the demonstrators were from the higher secondary level. During the protest, students chanted slogans such as "Justice, justice, we want justice," "We want the rapists hanged," and "Who are you, who am I, Asiya, Asiya."
A protesting student said, "We had announced a blockade of Shahbag to protest against the oppression of women. But considering the suffering of people during Ramadan, we have withdrawn the blockade. Instead, we will continue our sit-in next to the National Museum until evening."
As of the filing of this report, students were still at the protest site, with more participants from institutions such as Motijheel Ideal School and College, Noubahini College, St Joseph School and College, BAF Shaheen Dhaka, Begum Badrunnesa Government Women's College, Udayan Higher Secondary School, Adamjee Cantonment College, and Government Laboratory High School expected to join.
Messenger/JRTarek
