Hena tragedy outrageous

The way a rape victim in a remote village of Shariatpur, far from being redressed for the abuse she was subjected to, was whipped leading to her death has left us reeling from utter shock and outrage. We have no word to condemn the crime committed by the so-called village arbitration body that gave the order to lash the girl based on a fatwa issued by a village imam. In the same breath, we cannot but express our dismay over how such a barbaric medieval drama could be enacted under the very nose of the local administration. How could they be unaware of the High Court rule that declares fatwa illegal and unconstitutional?
The story of the adolescent girl, Hena's' molestation at the hands of her elder relative followed by her cruel murder by her own people is a stark reminder of the darkness of superstition and bigotry in which our rural society is caught up. In actuality, the half-literate village bigot whose fatwa was instrumental in murdering the hapless girl and the equally illiterate villagers who executed it, had hardly had any real understanding of the Islamic laws they claim to be championing. So, those responsible for the victim girl's tragic end committed a grave crime on more than one count: they misinterpreted Islam, violated the existing High Court's ruling on fatwa as well as contravened the law against violence on women and children.
The tragic incident has occurred despite the existence of the law to prevent repression on women and children and the presence of so many women right activists. That is enough to point to the poor level of implementation of the law on the one hand and the inadequacy of the rights groups to reach out to the poor and the vulnerable.
In the present case, those responsible for the Hena's tragic end to life should deserve no mercy. They should be caught and awarded the harshest punishment available under law.