Dhaka girls too hold 'Reclaim the Night' protest

The recent rape and murder of a female doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, West Bengal, have sparked widespread outrage across India. In solidarity, young women in Dhaka also took to the streets to protest the incident, holding a 'Reclaim the Night' programme midnight Friday.

On Friday, August 16, female students started gathering at the foot of Dhaka University's Raju memorial sculpture around 10:00pm. Teachers from various public and private universities and institutions and prominent cultural figures stood alongside them in support.

The protesters carried placards and chanted slogans such as "I will crush patriarchy, the state apparatus will shake," "No one will be excused under the guise of clothing," and "When independence is at stake, it will spread throughout Bengal."

Many women who participated in the protest expressed concerns about the handling of rape cases in Bangladesh. 

They highlighted that many cases go unreported, and even when they are reported, justice is often not served. Victims are often subjected to social humiliation, deterring others from seeking justice. 

The protesters joined the 'Reclaim the Night' programme not only to condemn the incident in Kolkata but also to prevent similar occurrences in Bangladesh.

The body of the doctor in Kolkata was discovered half-naked in the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College Hospital last Friday, August 9. Protests erupted across India in response, and on Wednesday night, women in Kolkata initiated the 'Reclaim the Night' movement, which quickly spread to other states and has now reached Dhaka.