Female students of Dhaka University have issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the university's vice chancellor to lift the ‘evening curfew’ imposed on them, as DU female students are not allowed to enter or go out form halls from 10pm to 6am without prior permission from a higher authority.

Protesting students submitted a memorandum to the VC, Prof. Dr. ABM Obaidul Islam this afternoon mentioning three demands under the banner of Oborodhbashini. They also submitted a memorandum with the same demands on 27 July.  

The demands include abolishing discriminatory evening curfew in female halls (10pm to 6am) immediately and ensuring 24-hour unrestricted movement along with overall security for all female students; allowing female students to enter any female hall upon showing a valid ID card and stay overnight with proper permission; ensuring the rights for all female relatives to enter in the halls.

The students are saying, the ‘British evening curfew law’ still continues on the pretext of security for women, even 105 years after the birth of the university. Instead of emphasizing comprehensive security, this tradition of gender discrimination is creating administrative harassment, shrinking the cultural, social and political scope for females.  

The university administration kept stalling even after repeated demand from female students to lift the evening curfew after the July mass uprising.

“After the July uprising, although female students demanded the abolition of the curfew on several occasions, the administration stalled and evaded the issue. The newly appointed VC is also trying to avoid,” they said.

They said, “under these circumstances, we expect necessary steps to be taken to implement all our demands unconditionally within the next 48 hours. Otherwise, we will be compelled to adopt a rigorous course of action to secure the students' legitimate demands.”