Bangladeshi Campus Tension Rises as Women Face Abuse Over World Cup Match

A wave of unrest has hit Dhaka University after female students reported abuse while attempting to view a FIFA World Cup fixture on a large screen set up in Shahidullah Hall.

The alleged perpetrators belong to Islamic Chhatra Shebir, the student wing of the Jamaat‑e‑Islami party, which had tried to sell itself as a “women‑friendly” organization ahead of the DUCSU student‑union elections. Witness accounts describe members physically restraining women, shouting profanities, and demanding they leave the premises.

The problem first came to light during the Norway‑France encounter, when a woman claimed she was harassed by Shebir activists. Undeterred, a sizable group of female students gathered for the Argentina‑Jordan match on 28 June, submitting a formal memorandum to the proctor that listed three primary demands: immediate safety measures, a transparent inquiry, and the removal of the accused from any campus role.

Muhsin Billah Amon, a registered attendee for the screening, recounted that a small faction of male students forced him and his fellow viewers out and singled out a female teammate, questioning her presence and ordering her to vacate the hall.

The episode has drawn sharp rebuke from other student leaders, including those from left‑leaning student councils, who argue that Shebir‑supported candidates dominate the student‑union hierarchy and are exploiting their authority to curtail women’s freedoms on campus.