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Tangail Gang Rape

Protests pour in Victim improving; medical board formed

Star Correspondent
Enraged by the early December gangrape of a 15-year-old schoolgirl in Madhupur, hundreds of people gathered in front of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban yesterday to demand an end to violence against women.
The protesters sought justice for the schoolgirl and another 14-year-old Marma girl who was raped and then murdered in Rangamati around the same time in December.
The state should ensure
women's protection and to do so, they said, it had to address the issues involved in a systematic and collective manner. Besides, a significant change is necessary in the patriarchal mindsets at family and community levels.
Representatives from 20 rights organisations, cultural activists, students and many others participated in the human chain and rally organised by Sangat Bangladesh and One Billion Rising.
"We have to respond by ensuring justice [to the survivors of violence) and by sending out a very clear message that there is zero tolerance for rape," said prominent human rights activist Irene Khan.
Rapes had the lowest conviction rates in the world, she said, which was
why such acts were committed again and again.
Women's rights activist Maleka Begum criticised the societal trend of blaming the victim rather than therapists.
When they are traumatised by what has happened to them, their families shun them, police refuse to file cases and courts fail to ensure justice. This ishowthe rape victims are harassed repeatedly. Structural failures and patriarchal attitudes should be blamed for all this, speakers said.
A multi-dimensional approach must be undertaken to address violence against women, said Shaheen Anam, executive director of Manusher Jonno Foundation, emphasising the need for incorporating gender issues in the educationsystem.
"Women's rights activ-
ists are coming to the realisation that in order to make the movement stronger we have to include everyone."
Theatre personality Sara Zaker echoed Shaheen's view, saying the movement needed to "go viral".
Spontaneous reactions such as demonstrations would be there but longterm strategies were also needed to combat the issue, said women's rights activist Shipra Bose.
Sultana Kamal, executive director of Ain o Salish Kendra; Shireen Haq, founder member of Naripokkho; Khushi Kabir, coordinator of Nijera Kori; Aly Zaker, theatre personality; Farah Khan, country director of ActionAid, and cultural organiser Nasiruddin Yousuf Bacchu also joined the demonstration.
Meanwhile, human
chains were formed in Tangail, Madhupur and Gala union, condemning the 15-year-old's gangrape and demanding exemplary punishment to the culprits. The protesters also asked the authority to give protection to the victim and her family.
The gangrape of the girl took place between December 6 and 10 in Madhupur. The four violators and their abettor were arrested on December 31 and were taken on police remand onWednesday.
Ironically, the abettor is a young woman, Bithi Akter, who befriended the victim a month before handing her over to the culprits. The four are SM Nuruzzaman alias Gada, 42, Shajahan Ali, 40, Moniruzzaman Moni, 39, and Harunur Rashid Harun, 27.
On December 10, the rapists left the girl by the rail line in Tangail from where she was recovered by her brother.
Political and social organisations in the capital yesterday demanded expeditious trial of the violators.
Mujahidul Islam Selim, president of the Communist Party of Bangladesh, and its General Secretary Syed Abu Zafar Ahmed in a joint statement expressed concern over the rape.
The chairman and tire general secretary of Bangladesh Tariqat Federation said the incident in Tangail proved that the government had failed to provide security to the people.
The Jatiya Konyashishu and Advocacy Forum held a human chain in front of the Jatiya Press Club, demanding exemplary punishment to the violators.
Also yesterday, Dhaka Medical College Hospital authorities formed a medical board for treating the teenage schoolgirl who was gang-raped in
Madhupur of Tangail early December last year.
Doctors said the victim had been showing signs of mental imbalance but her condition was improving.
The seven-member team includes medicine, gynaecology and psychology experts, said Bilkis Begum, coordinator of One-Stop Crisis Centre at theDMCH.
Bilkis, a gynaecology consultant who is also on the board, said the girl was still on saline as she was not taking any food or drink. The class-IX girl also responded to doctors' queries for the first time yesterday since her admission on Monday night.
Her problems are more of mental rather than physical in nature. The victim had been screaming at the sight of any unknown men. But yesterday she did not react that way when doctors and some other unknown men went to visit her.
Reports of several tests conducted on her were normal, said Bilkis.
Meanwhile, family members of the accused protested the latters' innocence and claimed the entire incident was a "conspiracy," reports our Tangail correspondent. They demanded proper investigation into the matter.
Mozibor Rahman, officer-in-charge of Madhupur Police Station, said the accused had already confessed the crime during interrogation.
According to police investigation, Bithi took the girl to Madhupur for a role in a drama. After the shooting at Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation in Madhupur on December 6, they took the girl at the house of Nuruzzaman at Bokarbaid village.
"The four men raped the girl when Bithi was present in the house that night," the OC added.