As concerns rise over women’s rights and campus safety in Bangladesh, a dispute erupted at Dhaka University when female students were reportedly harassed while trying to watch a football World Cup match on a large screen. Despite efforts by Islami Chhatra Shibir to present itself as a “women-friendly” group before the DUCSU elections, it now faces allegations of misogyny, revealing a contradiction between its image and the reality at Dhaka University.
Shibir members have been accused of harassing and restricting female students, particularly opposing women watching World Cup matches. Female students protested against this behavior, gathering to watch games on the field after a woman was allegedly harassed during a match. Despite complaints, no action has been taken by the organization.
Muhtasin Billah Emon, a student, claimed that he and his companions were forced to leave the field by a group of students, with a female student facing harassment. One of the accused is Md. Saju Mia, the Hall Union’s Social Services Secretary, elected on the Shibir-backed panel. In response, female students gathered at the field to watch a match in solidarity and presented demands to the proctor.
The incident has sparked political criticism, with student leaders condemning the silence of DUCSU and alleging close ties between the offenders and the student union’s top leadership. Seema Akhter from Bangladesh Chhatra Federation criticized the incident as part of a broader “politics of control,” denouncing restrictions on women’s movement and the failure to hold offenders accountable. She highlighted a campaign against women’s rights activists that has intensified over the past year.
