DU female students protest alleged harassment at Shahidullah Hall

A group of female students at the University of Dhaka watched a football match at the Kabi Sufia Kamal Hall this morning (28 June) as a form of protest against the alleged harassment of female students at the Dr Muhammad Shahidullah Hall field during a World Cup match screening.

They submitted a memorandum to the university proctor's office, demanding a safer and more respectful campus environment.

The students gathered at 8am and watched the Argentina vs Jordan match on the initiative of the vice-president (VP) and general secretary (GS) of the Kabi Sufia Kamal Hall. VP Sanjida Chowdhury Ratri told The Business Standard that the memorandum demands action against alleged harassment, moral policing, and misogynistic behaviour on campus.

"We have demanded proper measures to ensure a safe and dignified campus for all," she said.

According to complainant Muhtasin Billah Imon, they went to watch the Norway vs France match on Friday night (26 June) after registering their names in the hall register book.

They claimed that a group of hall students surrounded them and pressured them to leave the field, and also alleged that a female attendee was harassed during the incident.

One of the accused is Md Saju Mia, the social welfare secretary of the hall union. Saju denied the allegations and said he would provide a written statement to TBS, but later did not respond to repeated attempts for comment.

Proctor Associate Professor Israfil Ratan said an assistant proctor has been assigned to investigate the incident following a formal complaint. "An investigation is underway, and appropriate action will be taken after its completion," he said.