Protesters took to the streets on March 7, 2025, at Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban, Dhaka, in response to repeated organized attacks on women and marginalized communities across Bangladesh. Their demonstration was fueled by the government’s failure to take meaningful action to protect its citizens. Despite widespread public outrage, the three female advisors in the interim government remained silent. Meanwhile, Home Affairs Advisor Jahangir Alam issued a long-overdue statement that only exacerbated the situation by shifting blame onto victims and indirectly inciting attackers through irresponsible media remarks.
Demands of the Protesters:
-Remove Home Affairs Advisor Jahangir Alam for instigating indirect violence against women.
-Prosecute perpetrators of rape and abuse under the law.
-Reform the police force into a responsible, people-oriented institution rather than making superficial changes like altering uniform colors.
-Establish special forces, help desks, and hotlines dedicated to the safety of women and minority communities.
-Create a special monitoring team under the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs and the Ministry of Social Welfare to oversee state armed forces (e.g., police, army) and ensure justice.
-Employ psychologists in every police station to assist victims of rape, harassment, and torture.
-Guarantee legal aid and protection for women and minorities, without discrimination based on class, religion, or ethnicity.
-Launch state-led awareness campaigns against gender-based violence across Bangladesh.
These protests serve as a warning to the interim government: instead of reinforcing moral policing, mob violence, and victim-blaming, it must prioritize making the state safe for women and marginalized communities.
Written by Nusaiba Tasfiat Islam
Photos by Mayabee Arannya, Sudeshna Biswas
Bangladesh Feminist Archives 