Protesters’ 24hr ultimatum for home adviser’s resignation

Dhaka’s streets echoed with defiance on Monday as protesters, under the banner of Bangladesh Against Rape and Oppression, issued a 24-hour ultimatum demanding the resignation of the Home Affairs Adviser—and a public apology for failing to ensure public safety. 

The protesters gathered at Central Shaheed Minar and began marching towards the Bangladesh Secretariat that houses the Home Ministry around 2:30pm.

As the marchers reached Shiksha Bhaban by 3:05pm, police barricades could not stop them—activists tore them down, sparking a scuffle before officers held their ground. 

Gathered near Shiksha Bhaban, they vowed a torch procession to the Home Ministry Tuesday evening if their 9-point demands are not met, clearing the road after their stand-off with police.  

“We’re all part of the mass uprising, but this adviser sits on our blood,” said Adrita Roy, a student of Jahangirnagar University. “He’s failed us. We demand his resignation by tomorrow, an apology to the nation, and action against rape and oppression—or we’ll escalate with a massive torch procession from Raju Sculpture,” she added.  

She called for a nationwide resistance movement, rallying all classes to join the fight. Their demands include:  

1. The Home Adviser’s resignation for security failures.  

2. Urgent action to halt rampant rape, oppression, theft, robbery, and kidnapping.  

3. Swift trials for rape cases nationwide, potentially via a special tribunal.  

4. Legal reforms to redefine rape inclusively, ban victim-rapist marriages, and ensure gender-sensitive sentencing.  

5. Institutional reforms to prevent sexual harassment, mandating anti-harassment cells in workplaces and schools, with gender sensitivity training.  

6. Simplified rape complaint processes at police stations.  

7. Reviving the 2011 Witness Protection Act for victim safety.  

8. Full investigation into harassment at Chittagong University, punishing perpetrators.  

9. Independent anti-sexual harassment cells in all institutions, with female representation and punishment powers.