Staff Reporter :
A rights organisation on Tuesday filed a writ petition with the High Court seeking its directive to restrain the media from publishing and broadcasting the identity of rape victims.
‘Justice Watch Foundation’ submitted the petition as a public interest litigation to the HC, praying to it to pass an order to the authorities concerned to strictly enforce Section 14 of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act 2000 which banned publishing and broadcasting the names and photos of victims of rape and sexual harassment.
In the petition, the organisation requested the HC to issue a rule asking the information secretary, and the chairman and secretary of Bangladesh Press Council to show causes as to why their inaction and failure to strictly enforce Section 14 of the act should not be declared illegal.
Justice Watch Foundation Executive Director and its lawyer Mahfuzur Rahman Milon said that different print and electronic media and online news portals have been broadcasting and publishing the names and photos of rape victims including the English medium student, who was recently raped and killed, despite the ban. The HC may hold hearing on the writ petition on Sunday, he added.
