JU students stage overnight protest, demand proctor’s resignation

Female students at Jahangirnagar University staged an overnight sit-in in front of the vice-chancellor’s residence, demanding the resignation of Proctor Prof AKM Rashidul Alam after authorities failed to meet a 48-hour deadline to arrest the suspect in an attempted rape and murder case involving a female student.

Around 1:30am on Saturday, students brought out a protest procession from Tarzan Chattar and marched through the university’s female residential halls before gathering in front of the vice-chancellor’s residence.

The protesters accused the administration of failing to ensure campus safety and renewed their demand for the resignation of the proctor and the entire proctorial body.

The demonstration followed Tuesday night’s alleged attempted rape and murder of a female student, whom the attacker reportedly dragged from a road near the old Fazilatunnesa Hall into a nearby wooded area.

University authorities filed a case with Ashulia Police Station on Wednesday against an unidentified individual.

After a large protest on Wednesday night, students issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the administration to arrest the suspect and warned that they would demand the proctor’s resignation if authorities failed to act.

The protesters also demanded stronger anti-harassment measures, tighter campus security, recruitment of female security personnel for the quick response team and implementation of cyber safety protections for students.

As the deadline expired, students said the proctor had lost the moral authority to remain in office because of repeated failures to ensure campus security.

“Women students have repeatedly faced harassment on campus during the last two and a half years, yet the proctorial body failed to resolve those incidents,” said Sohagi Samia, a student of the drama and dramatics department.

At around 2:30am, Vice-Chancellor Prof Mohammad Kamrul Ahsan met the protesters in front of his residence, triggering heated exchanges over the resignation demand.

The vice-chancellor said the university would investigate whether the proctorial body showed negligence and promised to inform students of the findings within seven days.

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The students rejected the assurance and continued their protest.

Around 10:30am, protesters marched to the proctor’s office and locked it, declaring the proctor unwelcome on campus.

The demonstrators also announced plans to lock the registrar building on Sunday and vowed to continue their movement until police arrest the suspect and the proctor resigns.

Deputy Registrar of the university’s Security Office Gafrul Hasan Chowdhury Sajal confirmed that protesters had locked the proctor’s office.