Ashibul Islam Rifat

Students of Jahangirnagar University on Sunday suspended their ongoing protest movement over the attempted rape of a female student after issuing a fresh three-day ultimatum to the university administration. Earlier in the day, agitating students locked the university’s administrative building around 10:30am and enforced a blockade that continued until 7pm.

Students at Jahangirnagar University remain firm in their demand for the resignation of the proctorial body, alleging administrative failure to arrest the accused in the attempted rape and attempted murder of a female student. As part of their protest, demonstrating students locked the university’s proctor office on Saturday morning. They also staged an overnight sit-in and protest outside the vice-chancellor’s residence on Friday night.

Questions over unrestricted access of outsiders and vagrants on the Jahangirnagar University (JU) campus have resurfaced following allegations that a female student was dragged into a secluded area and subjected to an attempted rape. Students, teachers and security insiders allege that multiple open entry points, politically backed outsider presence, administrative negligence and weak security measures have turned the country’s one of the largest residential campuses increasingly unsafe.