Stalking victim schoolgirl succumbs
After struggling with stab injuries for four days, Suraya Akhter Risha, an eighth grade student of Willes Little Flower School and College, died yesterday at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH).
The 14-year old girl was stabbed by a stalker in Dhakas Kakrail area on August 24. She breathed her last in the intensive care unit (ICU) around 8:30 am yesterday.
Risha was the daughter of cable operator Ramjan Ali, who lives with his family in Bangshal in Old Dhaka.
According to eyewitnesses, on last Wednesday, Risha, after finishing her school exam at around 12:30pm, went up the overbridge in front of her school to cross the road.
When she reached the middle of the bridge, she was stabbed several times by unknown miscreants. Critically injured, she was left lying on the overbridge. Eventually, other students and guardians from the schools took her to the DMCH, where she was immediately admitted.
Her family claims that Risha was being stalked for some time by Obaed, an employee of a tailoring shop in Eastern Mollika where she used to get her clothes stitched.
Risha had given her mobile number to the tailoring shop. Obaed called her on that number and had tried to talk to her, but she had refused. Rishas classmates confirmed that Obaed even tried to harass her in front of her school. Rishas family have filed a case against Obaed at Ramna police station. Ramna police station officer-in-charge (OC) Moshiur Rahman said that they have already traced the stalker and will soon arrest him.
BSS adds that the victims parents lodged a case against Obaed on the day of the stabbing, claiming that the man, who was working at a tailoring shop at a city shopping mall, had been harassing their daughter over phone for some time. Recently, they changed her number. They also came to know that he had been bothering the 14-year old girl in front of her school for the last couple of days.
It was alleged that Obaed stabbed the girl when she protested against such eve-teasing. The victims body has been kept at the DMCH morgue for autopsy. Meanwhile, students of the school took to the streets after learning of Rishas death, demanding the speedy arrest of the culprit.
