A group of Dhaka University (DU) students organized a late-night ‘‘Gaaner Adda’’ and ‘‘Muri Party’’ to protest recent proctorial curfew on female students. However, they later faced cyberbullying on social media posts about the event.
The night before, two students were barred from staying in non-residential areas of the campus after 10pm, with the university’s proctorial team citing security concerns.
One of the protesters, Sakiba Sultana Bonna, Joint Convener of the Ruqayyah Hall (JDC) committee, said the protest was “not political” but aimed at inspiring others to stand up for themselves.
Bonna, a Dance Department student, further said , “As adults, we do not need the proctorial team’s approval to stay outside, and providing a guardian’s number is unnecessary.”
Ashrefa Khatun, spokesperson for the Bangladesh Ganatantrik Chhatra Sangsad, announced the “Gaaner Adda” and “Muri Party” in a Facebook post.
According to the organizers, the event included activists from several student organizations alongside general students.
The protesters said they faced cyberbullying after posting their pictures on social media.
The students claimed the proctorial team justified the restriction by saying, “The girls’ dorm closes at 10pm. What will you be doing outside after that?”
Earlier, Israt Jahan, a Disaster Management and Vulnerability Studies Department student, said two proctorial team members stopped her from entering the Mall Chattar at 10:38pm, citing “higher orders” that prohibit female students from non-residential areas after 10pm.
According to her, the proctor explained that the rule was implemented “for security reasons” and that the team “would be held accountable in case of any incident” when she inquired further.
Later, DU Proctor Saifuddin Ahmed expressed regret over the Mall Chattar incident, calling it a “misunderstanding” regarding student entry, according to a press release.
The release also clarified that no official announcement had been made by the proctor’s office restricting female students from entering campus areas after 10pm.
