Liza loses fight for life

Liza Rahman continued seeking justice even moments before she lost her five-day long battle with death at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) yesterday.

The 18-year-old HSC student of Rajshahi Women’s Government College set herself on fire after stepping out of Shah Makhdum Police Station in Rajshahi on Saturday.

The incident occurred an hour after she went into the police station, seeking legal assistance to protect her marriage.

She breathed her last at 8am. She had been undergoing treatment at DMCH with around 60 percent burn injuries.

Her body was sent to DMCH morgue for autopsy, which was performed in the evening, DMCH sources said.

After autopsy, her family members took her body to their home village in Gaibandha’s Govindaganj upazila.

Liza’s sister Rani was with her during her last moments.

She said that Liza detailed her devastation to her and her step-brother Shihab Ahmed and they recorded her statement.

“This pain is unbearable… Whoever is responsible for my death must not escape justice,” Liza’s sister Rani quoted her. “She passed away right after uttering those words,” Rani said at the DMCH morgue premises.

Rani alleged that Liza had been having disputes with her in-laws over her marriage with Shakhawat Hossain (18), a second year student of Rajshahi City Government College.

Liza decided to set herself on fire when she failed to get assistance from the police to protect her marriage, she said.

Liza was adopted and raised in Gaibandha by Shihab’s father Abdul Latif. She was introduced to Shakhawat when she moved to Rajshahi for her studies.

She married Shakhawat through an affidavit before a notary public in Gaibandha in January, and they started living together at Paba Notunpara area in Rajshahi city.

They could not manage to have their marriage registered as they were not 18 at the time as per their birth certificates, Rani and Shihab said, quoting Liza.

They tried to conceal their marriage from both their families, but Shakhawat’s family eventually learnt of it.

Shakhawat was eager to stay with her, but his family refused to accept the marriage and pressured Liza to divorce him.

Shakhawat’s family members took him away from her several times and every time, he went back to her.

In July when Shakhawat’s family took him to their home in Nachol of Chapainawabganj, Liza went to Nachol Police Station -- requesting law enforcers to protect her marriage.

Police then called Shakhawat and his father to the police station and following Shakhawat’s wishes to stay with her, they managed to have his father accept the marriage.

Since then the young couple has been living in their rented house in Rajshahi.

On Saturday, Shakhawat’s family members once again took him away and asked her to divorce him.

Liza then went to the Shah Makhdum Police Station.

“Police termed her marriage illegal, using obscene language,” Shihab said, quoting Liza. He said that police wanted to record her complaint, but told her that they cannot do anything as her marriage was “not legal”.

“She was told the same thing both at the police station and at the victim support centre,” he said.

“Liza felt helpless and decided to end her life,” Shihab said, adding that she went out of the police station, collected kerosene from a nearby shop and set herself on fire just beside the police station.

Police took her to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital and then a team of three policemen travelled to Dhaka to admit her to DMCH.

When contacted, SM Masud Parvez, OC of Shah Makhdum Police Station, denied the allegations of misbehaviour with the girl.

He said, she was sent to the victim support centre located inside the police station compound, as they do not deal with family issues.

OC Masud also said that a marriage is illegal until it is registered, but denied using “obscene language”.

After the incident, Rajshahi Metropolitan Police formed a two-member committee to investigate into the matter, making Additional Commissioner Salma Begum the committee’s head. They were asked to report in three days [ending yesterday].

When contacted yesterday afternoon, Salma Begum said they were yet to complete their task.