Staff Reporter :
The High Court on Monday formed a three-member inquiry committee to probe into as to whether any negligence were found in part of the law enforcers of the Begumganj Police Station in Noakhal to take immediate action against the perpetrators who were involved in raping and torturing of a woman in Noakhali that sparked outrage across the country. Committee comprising of Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) and District Social Welfare Officer of Noakhali and Principal of Chowmuhani Govt SA College is directed to submit a report in the court within 15 working days in this regard after taking deposition from the victim woman.
Deputy Commissioner of Noakhali is asked to give all kinds of logistic support to the committee for their performances.
Besides, the court ordered the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) to remove all the links of the recorded video clip of torturing the woman from all social medias.
The court, however, asked the BTRC chairman to preserve a copy of the video clip and supply a copy of the video clip in the court through attorney general office.
The court also issued a rule upon the respondents to explain as to why they should not be directed to take appropriate legal actions against the officer-in-charge (OC) and other responsible officers of Begumganj Police Station in Noakhali as they have been found to have neglected to take immediate action against the perpetrators who were involved in raping and torturing of the woman.
Home secretary, public administration secretary, post and telecommunication secretary, BTRC chairman, deputy commissioner of Noakhali, UNO of Begumganj upazila and OC of Begumganj police station have been asked to comply with the rule.
The High Court bench of Justice Md Mozibur Rahman Miah and Justice Mohi Uddin Shamim passed the order as a Suo Moto move after a Supreme Court lawyer, Abdullah Al Mamun, brought some news reports regarding the issue to the attention of the court.
OC of Begumganj police station is directed to inform the court about the latest situation of the case on October 28 this year.
Police Superintendent of Noakhali is directed to ensure all kinds of security to the victim woman and her family till disposing of the case filed in this regard.
Before passing order on the issue, the High Court bench heard the opinion from Supreme Court Bar Association president advocate AM Amin Uddin, advocate ZI Khan Panna, bar secretary barrister Ruhul Quddus Kazal and some others.
The court said, “We have been astonished as any of women rights organization didn’t come to us over the issue.”
According to the statement, the perpetrators entered the house of the victim and beat up her husband on the night of the incident. They took him to the adjacent room and tied him up.
Later, they tortured the victim and assaulted her while filming the incident on their mobile. At one point, locals gathered around the house hearing the victim’s cry for help.
The accused then threatened to kill her if she speaks about the incident, and left. The victim, fearing for her life, fled her house and has been living elsewhere since then.
The perpetrators, however, contacted her over phone and threatened to release the recorded video of the incident on social media if she did not go back to her house and agree to their demands.
“As I did not agree to their immoral proposals, they released the video on social media on October 4,” the plaintiff said in her statement.
As the video circulated widely, police located her and questioned her about the incident, following which she filed the case against her perpetrators, the statement reads.
Law enforcers have arrested four people, including the main accused, over the incident. The arrestees are— main accused Badal, “Delwar Bahini” chief Delwar, Rahmat Ullah and Abdur Rahim.
