Awami League chief and Leader of the Opposition in Parliament Sheikh Hasina yesterday met the parents of Mahima at Kanthalbaria and consoled them saying, the people are with them to see the culprits punished.
"People of the country are with you so that none can canceal the heinous crime or harass you any more and all the culprits are punished," she told Mahima's parents.
The family members broke into tears when Hasina went to the remote of village in Puthia upazila in Rajshahi to meet them.
Schoolgirl Mahima committed suicide on February 19 after being
abducted and gang-raped by four youths reportedly belonging to Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD), student wing of ruling BNP on February 15.
The AL chief reached the tin-shed house of Mahima's family at about 3:30pm and talked to her perplexed father, mother, brother and sisters for about half-an-hour. Hundreds of villagers, mostly women and children, gathered around the house at that time.
Hasina said those who tortured the girl and pushed her to selfannihilation are worse than animal. Such incidents are happening across the country now. Some victims protest while others choose to end their life to escape disgrace,
Hasina said.
"All are with you and there is nothing to be worried", she told them.
Later, addressing a gathering in front of the house, Hasina called upon the villagers to come forward to resist the culprits with an iron hand. "If you don't resist them right now such incidents will continue to happen."
She said Mahima was compelled to commit suicide. "We are here to console you because we cannot help you regain what you have lost in the death of your daughter." Hasina handed over Tk 50,000 to the father of Mahima and said from now on she will bear the educational expenses of Mahima's younger sister Famiha, a student of class seven at a local girls high school.
Addressing the gathering, Mahima's brother Jahangir alleged that miscreants belonging to ruling BNP brutalised his sister. "We want trial of the culprits," said a pale looking Jahangir.
Talking to The Daily Star Mohima's puzzled father Abdul Hannan made an ardent appeal to all so that the culprits are arrested soon and punished appropriately.
"I am a very simple villager and I have no feud with any family of the village," he said.
Abdul Hannan said another girl was raped in the village about one and a half years ago. If the rapists were punished then, such incident would not have happened again.
When asked, Jahangir said, "The miscreants took political revenge on us as we support Awami League". He said he got a letter from the local BNP office before the last general election which said the Bangabandhu Club in the area would be demolished if BNP comes to the power. Jahangir showed the letter to journalists.
Sohel Rana Babu, cousin of Mahima, said the miscreants had made several attempts on Mahima. He also alleged that local MP went to Puthia thana and charged police for arresting BNP and JCD activists
A temporary police camp was seen in front of Hannan's house. It was set up prior to the visit of Home Minister Altaf Hossain Chowdhury earlier. Police were seen interrogating whoever wanted to visit the house.
Addressing a public rally at Puthia PN High School ground after visiting Mahima's parents, the opposition leader demanded of the government to nab the culprits immediately and give them exemplary punishment.
"Otherwise, people will take revenge. They will never tolerate such repression", she warned.
She also called for united resistance so that no more woman becomes victim of such atrocities.
AL's Puthia Upazilla unit of organised the rally to protest the incident. It was the first such programme of her four-day tour of six northern districts.
"The four-party alliance government has created terror throughout the country by unleashing atrocities on religious minorities, opposition workers and the commonman", she alleged. "Government- sponsored repression must stop."
Referring to Mihama's incident, she said, "It is the worst form of crime against humanity.
"I have come here to console Mahima's family. We will always remain with the family and those who believe in humanity will be with Mahima's family.
"Mahima's incident is not the only one. Several such indescrib-
able incidents of repression have taken place in the country," she said listing some of those.
"This is very unfortunate. But it is true that the victims did not get any legal assistance. They were refused when they went to lodge cases with police", she said.
Referring to the home minister's recent remarks regarding Mahima's incident, Hasina said, "There will be no gain by threatening the victims and those who stand beside the victims. Rather, take action against the culprits."
She alleged that criminals belonging to BNP's student wing JCD and Shibir killed Mahima.
Mahima's elder brother Jahangir Hossain, secretary of the local Bangabandhu Club, said, "Terrorists of BNP raped and killed my sister. I demand their exemplary punishment.
"This happened to my sister only because I support AL", he said demanding exemplary punishment to Uzzal, JCD unit president at Puthia College, Farid, Selim and their accomplices.
The rally was also addressed by, among others, AL Organising Secretary Mohammad Nasim, Presidium members Abdul Jalil and Matia Chowdhury, former Local MPs Shamsul Islam Sharif, Raihanul Haque, Panchanan Biswas and local AL candidate in the last election Tajul Islam Mohammad Faruque.