Ordeal of a raped teenage mother

A 36-day-old baby, who came to an unwelcome world through a caesarean on February 20, is now on the lap of his 13-year-old mother, a rape victim in Jamalpur Sadar upazila.

The victim and her hard-pressed parents are now passing days through mental sufferings, observed this correspondent while visiting the family on Sunday.

The girl, raped allegedly by her neighbour Shahjahan, 45, father of three children, at Sheikhpara village of the upazila in mid May last year, disclosed the matter to her parents when she developed pregnancy complications in mid November.

She was taken to a local private clinic where the doctors confirmed her six-month pregnancy.

The victim's father filed a rape case accusing Shahjahan under Women and Children Repression Prevention act with Sadar Police Station on November 23 last year, said Inspector Mahabbat Kabir, investigation officer (IO) of the case.

“Despite repeated drives, police could not arrest the accused. After investigating, a charge-sheet against the accused was submitted to a senior judicial magistrate's court on March 4,” said the IO.   

The victim's mother said, “My husband has to maintain a six-member family with his daily earning of Tk 300 to Tk 400, and so, we cannot provide necessary nutrition to my daughter, mother of a newborn.”

“The IO helped us by paying the bill for my daughter's caesarean. Now we are concerned over the legal recognition of the child, along with wherewithal to bring him up with proper care,” she said.

Meanwhile, local NGO Unnayan Sangha under a project titled 'Improved Institutional Response to Children Contact/Conflict with the Law' will run the case in favour of the plaintiff, said Human Resource Development director of the NGO Jahangir Salim, also a rights activist.

The district administration should take steps to ease the ordeal of the troubled family, he said.