A wave of protests erupted in the capital and elsewhere over the horrific gang-rape incident in Noakhali's Begumganj with the agitators demanding justice for the heinous crime that has shaken the conscience of the nation.
Anger was already simmering across the country following a string of recent rape incidents. That anger turned to rage and people took to the streets yesterday, hours after a video footage of the gruesome incident was uploaded on social media on Sunday night.
Netizens too continued to express outrage on social media.
Many of the protesters alleged that the ruling party men were involved in most of the cases, including the ones at Sylhet's MC College and in Begumganj, and demanded that the home minister step down for failing to stop the gruesome crimes against women.
As many as 975 women and children were raped in the first nine months of this year. Of them, 208 were gang-raped, according to Ain o Salish Kendra, a rights organisation.
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In the capital, several hundred protesters staged demonstrations in Shahbagh and Uttara areas, carrying placards and shouting slogans.
Left-leaning activists under the banners of "Shahbagh Against Oppression" and "Bondi Somoyer Chitkar" started demonstrating in front of the National Museum around 11:15am. They staged a sit-in at the Shahbagh intersection at yesterday noon, slowing down vehicular movement in the area.