By now, many people have watched a video clip on social media how a woman was stripped naked and assaulted again by a group of miscreants failing to rape her on January 1 in Noakhali. For the normal people, the details of the assault of the woman by the five hoodlums are enough to make them feel sick at the depravity of the attackers and the helpless victim’s ordeal.
It is to be noted that on September 2, 2020, miscreants also gang-raped a woman after stripping her off in her house at Ekhlaspur under Begumganj upazila of the district. The rapists also filmed the act in a mobile phone and circulated on the social media that sparked national outcry.
Terror, of course, is the most potent weapon for these gangs, whether they are affiliated with the ruling political party or just neigbourhood thugs who stick together and have convenient connections with law enforcers, and influential leaders and individuals. A news report of this daily on Monday said that a case was started with District’s Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-2 on January 5 against the five miscreants over the failed sexual attempt. As they could not pin her down, they tripped her naked and physically assaulted in front of her two children at Chanondi under Hatiya upazila on January 1 when her husband was not there. One of the miscreants also recorded the incident in his mobile phone and that later went on viral on the social media platforms.
Hearing the woman’s and her children’s screams, neighbours rushed to their house when the hoodlums fled the scene.
On information, he husband rescued her at night and admitted her to Noakhali General Hospital the next day. Receiving treatment for two days at the hospital, the woman went to local police station to file an FIR. But the police allegedly did not take the case. Later, she filed the case with the tribunal on January 5.
Taking the case into cognisance, the magistrate of the tribunal has asked the additional police superintendent (Hatiya circle) to submit a report within seven working days after investigation. Since the local police station was earlier reluctant to accept the FIR, now a big question arises how fair will be the police report?
Why the same refused FIR was trusted by the court to investigate the truth of stripping the woman in front of her children remains puzzle. Was the court also in fear of the gang rapists? Timid Bengalis have to be brave Bengalis if our national slavishness has to be shaken off. We are proving to be easily craven.
At least some who have state protection like police and courts must show courage to fight the rape terrorists; otherwise no law will be useful to the rapists. Timid Bengalis must be brave Bengalis.
