Schoolgirl takes own life after rape, humiliation

Another girl in Rajshahi committed suicide at the humiliation of her rape and successive arbitrations in Durgapur upazila on Friday morning.

Nazma Khatun, a class ten student of Durgapur High School, took her life by hanging herself at Sreepur village in Durgapur on the Eid day.

Nazma, daughter of day-labourer Abdul Malek, had an affair with Jalilur Rahman Pintu of the same village. She had been repeatedly asking him to marry her since the early August as he raped her.

Following the incident, Pintu and his family beat her up several times, entering into her house. They also threatened her not to make the incident public, said villagers and her family.

Before committing suicide, Nazma left a hand-written letter confirming her rape by Pintu.

Sources alleged local police station repeatedly denied registering complaints in this connection.

Her father had sought justice from village leaders and four arbitrations since August 17 were held in vain.

Nazma in the latest arbitration 15 days before the Eid said she would commit suicide if Pintu did not marry her, said the villagers.

A previous arbitration held at Durgapur municipal building on September 3 fined Pintu Tk 40,000 and his family handed over the money to the officer-in-charge of Durgapur Police Station on October 1.

The OC took Nazma to a Rajshahi court the next day and made her sign an affidavit that she has no objection after the September 3 arbitration. But the OC never gave the money to Nazma's family.

Nazma in the mean time witnessed continuous teasing by villagers, especially by Pintu's family, and harsh scolds from her parents.

Investigation officer Alam Chand said she ended her life at utter dejection from the humiliation.

OC Khoda Bux told reporters the municipal chairman was responsible for the arbitrations. He denied he gobbled up the fine money.

Nazma's father filed a case against 11 people under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act. The accused are Pintu, his brothers Nurul Islam, Nur Mohammad, Ala Bux, Baltu, Abu Bakkar, Laltu, village leaders Abul Kalam Azad Bachchu, Nabir, Abdul Jabbar and Abdul Aziz. No-one was arrested so far.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh National Women Lawyers' Association started investigation into the incident following resentment among the villagers.

Dejected at her rape and humiliation, Mohima of Puthia upazila committed suicide in 2001, creating an outcry across the country.