Police yesterday filed a case against Bilashi Khatun under Women and Children Repression Prevention Act in connection with killing her children, Rajani and Raihan, during her suicide attempt.

Distraught over her husband's second marriage, Bilashi on Thursday set fire to herself and her two children. Abu Raihan and Rajani Akhter died at the Burn and Plastic Surgery Unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital Thursday and Friday.

Bilashi is still in a critical condition at the hospital. On her

hospital bed, Bilashi is now screaming in pain and often calling out her children's names.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner AKM Shahidul Hoque said they were considering filing another case under the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) against Bilashi.

Motijheel Police Station Sub-Inspector Azizur Rahman filed the case against Bilashi early yesterday under section-4 /1 of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act.

SI Aziz in his case statement said Rajani, before she passed away, had told him that her mother Bilashi poured kerosene on

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their bodies and set them on fire with a matchstick.

The SI said witnesses told him that Bilashi set fire to herself and her two children in her attempt to commit suicide.

He said he filed the case since no family members of the victims came forward to file the

case.

"Neither the mother nor the father has the right to kill their children. Besides, it is a punishable offence to commit or attempt suicide," DMP Commissioner Shahidul Hoque said, adding, "Children should never become victims of their parents' feud.”

Talking to The Daily Star yesterday. National Human Rights Commission Chairman Mizanur Rahman welcomed the legal steps against the mother and said, "Every child has the right to live and none has the right to take away the life of anybody."

Ain 0 Salish Kendra (ASK) Executive Director Sultana Kamal, also a former adviser to a caretaker government, said, "Bilashi's husband Syed Rajeeb Ali should be punished for torturing her and provoking her to commit suicide. But Bilashi committed the crime by taking away the rights (to live) of her children.

"It might be that Bilashi's distresses led her to attempt suicide but killing her children was an expression of her selfishness and vindictive mentality."

Meanwhile, Bilashi's detained husband Rajeeb was produced before a Dhaka court yesterday with a prayer for seven days' remand. Her brother Selimuzzaman had filed a case against Rajeeb in connection with torturing his sister Bilashi, demanding dowry and provoking her to commit suicide.