BANGLADESH: Gang rape of a minority woman in Bagerhat district 

Dear friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the alleged gang rape of a woman belonging to a minority community by six men in Hogolpota village, Bagerhat district on 30 October 2005.

The victim, accompanied by her husband, was on her way home after making a phone call to her son in India when the alleged perpetrators, Kachin Munshi, Al Amin and four others, stopped her, tied her husband to a tree, and then forced her into a field where she was allegedly gang raped in front of her husband. The perpetrators belong to the ruling political party. The victim sustained injuries to her genitalia and was abandoned soon after the incident took place. Once she was able to free her husband, the victim went home.

The following day, the victim lodged a case with the Sharankhola police station. The police conducted a forensic examination of her on the same date, although the concerned medical doctors of the Bagerhat Sadar Hospital have not yet prepared the report. Only one of the six alleged perpetrators has been arrested to date.

Although the police have charged one of the alleged perpetrators for violation of Section 9(1) of the Women and Child Repression Prevention (Revised) Act of 2003, the AHRC is deeply concerned that the remaining alleged perpetrators remain at large. We are also concerned that the victim has not been afforded appropriate treatment for the trauma she has suffered nor appropriate protection. It was learned that the victim and the witnesses of the case are receiving frequent threats from the absconding perpetrators. As a result, both the victim and the witnesses are in fear of their safety. The victim and her family are also feeling the societal stigma following the attack. None of these factors have been taken into consideration by the relevant authorities.

We urge your strong intervention to ensure that appropriate trauma treatment, medical assistance and protection are afforded to the victim. Please also urge the concerned authorities to ensure the speedy disposition of the victim’s case in court. The concerned government agencies must take steps to ensure that the victim can live her life safely and without any discrimination.

Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission
—————————————————————————-
DETAILED INFORMATION:

Name of the victim: Ms. X (Name withheld), 30-years-old, living in Hogolpota village, under Sharankhola police station in Bagerhat district
Name of alleged perpetrators:
1. Kachi Munsi, son of Hakim Munsi, living in Rajapur village
2. Al-Amin, son of Babul Howladar, living in Dakkhin Badhal village under Sharankhola police station in Bagerhat district
3. Four unknown persons, living in the same area under the same police station in Bagerhat district.
Date and place of incident: 30 October 2005 at a field near a sawmill in Shailabunia village beside the road from Amragachi to Rajapur

Case details:

On 30 October 2005, at around 9.00pm the victim, accompanied by her husband went to the Rajapur Bazar commercial telephone booth to make a phone call to her son in India. When they were on their way back home to Hogolpota village the alleged perpetrators, Kachi Munshi, Al Amin and four other unidentified persons stopped them nearby a sawmill at Shailabunia village. They then proceeded to tie the husband to a tree and beat him. They then forced the victim to a roadside field where she was allegedly raped in front of her husband. After the incident, the perpetrators left the victim lying on the ground. They intimidated the victim and her husband not to disclose their identity before anyone. The victim managed to crawl along the ground to remove the knot from her husband’s hand. The victim and her husband then returned home.

The next day, the victim, accompanied by her husband, went to the Sharankhola police station and lodged a case (No. 18, Date – 31 October 2005) against the perpetrators for violation of Section 9(1) of the Women and Child Repression Prevention (Revised) Act of 2003. The police arranged a medical examination of the victim, taking her to the Bagerhat district Sadar Hospital on the same day. The police then arrested Kachi Munshi while the rest of his associates are still absconding. The perpetrators are intimidating the victim that they will do harm again if she does not withdraw the case. The victim and her family are living in their village home in fear and in an unsecured situation. The victim told a fact-finding team from the Task Force against Torture (TFT) of Khulna district that the perpetrators were threatening the witnesses in the case who are also hesitating to give their statements before the court considering their security problem.

The inhabitants of the locality, including members of the local Union Council, assert that the alleged perpetrators are continuously breaking the law and are committing crimes under the name of the ruling political party. The whole community is under threat due to the misdeeds and crimes committed by these people.

The Investigating Officer of the Sharankhola police station, Sub Inspector Mr. M. Nurul Islam told the fact-finding team that the incident was primarily proved and that they were waiting for the medical examination report to be prepared by the doctors before proceeding further. The charge sheet of the case, based on confessions by one of the perpetrators and the result of the forensic test, will be submitted to the court soon.

The Officer-in-Charge (OC) of the Sharankhola police station, Mr. Hari Debnath, told the fact-finding team that the police were trying to arrest the other perpetrators responsible for the incident.

SUGGESTED ACTION:

Please send an appeal letter to the persons below and express your deep concern about this serious case.

To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER