Dhaka University (DU) protesters blocked the key Shahbagh intersection on Monday demanding punishment of people involved in the rape of a second-year female student of the university in Kurmitola on Sunday night.

Vehicular movement came to a grinding halt at the intersection after 12pm when the students took position there. They kept the roads blocked for about two hours.

Apart from them, Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) staged a human chain protest in front of the Raju Sculpture.Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (Ducsu) Vice-President Nurul Haque Nur took part in a protest rally on the campus and demanded maximum punishment of the rapists.

"We hope the take step to arrest the criminals and ensure their capital punishment so that no one dares to commit such crime in future,” he said.

Meanwhile, the victim’s father filed a case at the Cantonment Police Station, said Officer-in-Charge Sahan Haque.

Friends of the second-year student said she got down at Kurmitola from the university bus around 7pm. She was picked up by an unidentified man who rendered her unconscious and raped her.

The victim regained consciousness around 10pm and contacted her classmates. She was admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) around midnight. On information, DU proctor, teachers and students visited her.

Bacchu Miah, inspector of DMCH police outpost, said the girl was hospitalised around 12:45am.

Proctor Rabbani expressed shock at the incident and said legal actions will be taken.

Bangladesh Chhatra League’s (BCL) Dhaka University unit brought out a procession on the campus around 3am on Monday demanding justice for the victim and punishment of the rapist.

Meanwhile, Sifatul Islam, a student of philosophy, started a hunger strike in front of the Raju Sculpture protesting against rape and seeking justice for the girl.