Sexual harassment: Mymensingh medical students postpone demo

Mymensingh Medical College (MMC) students, who were staging demonstration since Thursday protesting sexual harassment of their female fellow, have postponed their demonstration till June 30.

The agitating students took the decision this afternoon after the university authorities and the police, at a meeting, assured them to meet their demands including arrest and punishment of the accused.

The college Principal Prof Anwar Hossain presided over the meeting.

“The authorities assured us to meet our 11-point demands on a priority basis by June 30,” Sehabul Hashib, one of the protesters, told our Mymensingh correspondent.

The students would announce tougher programme if the authorities failed to full their demands by the deadline, he said.   

Though today is a public holiday on the occasion of Buddha Purnima, the students gathered in front of the main academic building of the college around 9:00am and staged a sit-in to press home their demands.

The demands include security for the students inside the campus and dormitories and barring outsiders from entering the campus.

Earlier, on Thursday, the students boycotted classes and examinations protesting the inaction of the college authorities regarding the alleged sexual harassment of the student by an outsider.

WHAT HAPPENED?

Earlier on May 15, an outsider of the campus made indecent gestures at the female student of the medical college in front of the female residential hall when she was returning in the afternoon.

Immediately after the incident, the victim and other students notified the hostel super Dr Nahida Akhter and Principal Prof Anwar Hossain about the matter.

The hostel super failed to take appropriate actions and instead asked the students to conceal the matter, the protestors alleged.