�Rape� of minor girl
Attempts made to destroy evidence
Habibullah Mizan
The family of a minor girl, allegedly raped on August 7, was obstructed to file a case by some local headmen and journalists in association with some influential people of Saturia upazila in Manikganj district. Family members of the victim and lawyers alleged that a syndicate did it only to destroy the evidence of rape.
However, on August 24, the mother of the minor girl managed to file a case against the alleged rapists following the intervention of senior officials Mahfuzur Rahman, Superintendent of Police (SP), and AM Kamrul Islam, Assistant Superintendent (Sadar Circle) of Manikganj district police. The victim is a student at Zadabpur village in Dhamrai upzaila of Dhaka district.
According to the mother, despite their submission of a complaint to Satura Police Station, the police were dilly-dallying in recording the case. Inspector Aminul Islam, officer-in-charge (investigation) of the police station, said the case could not be recorded until Inspector Md Habibullah, officer-in-charge of the police station, returned from the capital.
However, ASP AM Kamrul Islam said even a sub-inspector can record a case. He asked the local police station to record the case on Aug 24. The case was recorded under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act 2000 against the rapist. But Constable Firoz Miah, who drafted the case, and Sub-Inspector Lutfar Rahman, who received the case, did not read out the complaint before the mother, who does not know how to read or write.
On August 22, SP Mahfuzur Rahman instructed Inspector Md Habibullah to take steps to probe the incident. Before the SPs intervention, family members and influential relatives of the rapist warned the victims family not to file a case, said Noyon Miah, maternal uncle of the victim.
Two days after the incident, a caller claiming to be a journalist, threatened my elder brother Aman Hossain over phone. He became scared and stopped receiving calls from unknown numbers, he said. The family members of the girl had to go into hiding due to continuous threats by local influential persons.
On the night of August 7, college student Alim, 18, son of Awal, hailing from Boltola village in Saturia upzazila of Manikganj district, allegedly raped the minor girl at her maternal uncle Amans house. Male members of the victims family were not at home as they had gone to attend a religious programme.
Robin and Johnny, two witnesses, caught the rapist red-handed and later disclosed the matter to villagers.
It is alleged that relatives of the accused offered money to the victims family. As part of their conspiracy, local touts, politicians and some so-called journalists held several meetings at the late Abdul Jalils house.
Between August 8 and 23, at least five meetings were held only to destroy the forensic evidence of the rape, said Noyon.
Dr Bilkis Begum, coordinator of the One Stop Crisis Center of Dhaka Medical College Hospital, said: We have completed preliminary medical tests of the victim.
But due to the delayed admission in the OCC, it was not possible to carry out the DNA test to identify the rapist. After all medical tests, evidence of rape will be found, if the girl really was raped, she said.
Advocate Salma Ali, executive director of the Bangladesh Women Lawyers Association, said due to the delay in medical tests, most of the forensic evidence of rape might not be found. But we shall try to prove the case in court by producing the witnesses, she said. The victim was admitted to the OCC at around 11:00am on Monday.
