Bangladesh Government: Apprehend the Perpetrators of mass sexual assault on Women

We wish to echo the outrage expressed by women’s rights
campaigners in Bangladesh against the organised sexual assaults on 20 women in Dhaka by identifiable perpetrators on the evening of 14 April, during the celebration of Bangla New Year 1422.

It is appalling that on the auspicious occasion of Bangla Nobo Borsho, women were subjected to such a horrific event in a nation-state which is led by a woman Prime Minister. These organised sexual assaults went on for about two hours within the premise of Dhaka University where women should feel able to be safe.

The University has described the organised violence against women as a ‘normal incident’ and ‘nothing so severe’. It seems incredible that the Proctor of the University has denied having evidence of sexual assaults on women when four surveillance cameras were operating on the premises. Instead of supporting the protesters and detaining the perpetrators who conducted the heinous crime, both police and the proctor have accused the survivors of violence for not having been dressed appropriately in a plural society ! It is unacceptable that the police were silent bystanders during the vicious incident.

Additionally, Police attacked a demonstration and brutally tortured the protesters against sexual assault on women. These demonstrate deep-rooted misogyny in Bangladeshi institutions.

Masculinity is pervasive in Bangladesh even in times of
relative peace. It is deeply concerning that a secular regime which has vigorously attempted to bring war criminals for rape in the Bangladeshi war of independence in 1971 to justice fails to prevent sexual violence against women.

We stand in solidarity with the survivors of sexual violence
and with the protesters in Bangladesh.The following demands should be implemented urgently:


1. Immediate arrest and punishment of the perpetrators. But we oppose the use of capital punishment for anyone convicted in this instance.
2. A public apology from the local police and administration of Dhaka University for failing to support the women who were tortured for one and a half hours.
3. Immediate suspension of Police who tortured and humiliated demonstrators.
4. Immediate suspension of the Proctor at Dhaka University for his controversial statements and for attempting to hide evidence from CCTV footage.
5. Emergency support to the survivors of sexual violence including provision of economic, medical and mental health resources to overcome social stigma attached to sexual violence.
6. Ensure immediate support to and security of the protesters.

We, the undersigned:

Anna O'Brien , Human Rights Activist and Trainer, London Roots Collective, UK; Aliyah Saleem, Secularist Campaigner, United Kingdom; Gita Sahgal, Director, Centre for Secular Space; Imad Iddine Habib, Human Rights Activist, UK; Maryam Namazie, Founder and Spokesperson of One Law for All, Fitnah, and Producer of Bread and Roses TV; Natalia Paszkiewicz, Refugee women's rights campaigner and Projects Coordinator (Equalities), Independent Academic Research Studies; Nira Yuval-Davis, Director, Centre for Migration, Refugees and Belonging, University of East London, UK; Pragna Patel, Director, Southall Black Sisters, UK; Piya Maeynin, Producer, Legal Help with Piya, UK; Rahila Gupta, Freelance Journalist and Writer, UK; Razia Mannan, Vice-President, Nari Diganta, London; Ritu Mahendru, Director of Spatial and Social Development Perspectives Ltd. & South Asian Sexual Health (SASH), UK. Roger Moody, Editor, Mines and Communities, UK; Rumana Hashem, Founder and Spokesperson, Phulbari Solidarity Group, UK; Shana Swiss, Executive Director, Women's Rights International, Albuquerque, NM.