Muradnagar rape: Govt pledges a swift trial amid public uproar

In the wake of nationwide outrage, the government yesterday said it would ensure a speedy trial of those who raped, assaulted, and filmed a 21-year-old woman in Cumilla's Muradnagar upazila.

Also yesterday, the High Court issued directives for the government to see to the rape survivor's safety. It ordered the relevant authorities to remove the video, audio and photos related to the incident from all social media and digital platforms within 24 hours.

In response to a writ petition, the court also asked the authorities concerned to turn in a report after complying with the directives within 15 days.

The HC further issued a rule asking the respondents why their failure to prevent disclosure of the victim's identity, video and audio on social media should not be declared illegal, deputy attorney generals Shafiqur Rahman and Tanim Khan told The Daily Star.

The court fixed July 14 as the next hearing date on this issue.

Government officials concerned, including the home secretary, inspector general of police, chairman of Bangladesh Telecommunication and Regulatory Commission (BTRC) and Cumilla superintendent of police have been made respondents to the rule.

The HC bench of Justice Fahmida Quader and Justice Sayed Jahed Mansur passed the order and issued the rule following a writ petition filed by Supreme Court lawyer Mir AKM Nurun Noby seeking necessary directives.

The incident has sparked nationwide outrage with people from all walks of life demanding exemplary punishment to the perpetrators. Several rights organisations have sharply condemned the crime and extended their support to the survivor (read the full report on page 2).

Earlier in the day, the lawyer submitted the petition as a public interest litigation. He appealed to the HC to order the respondents to initiate a judicial inquiry into the rape incident and ensure Tk 5 crore in compensation and adequate treatment for the rape survivor.

DAG Shafiqur told the court that a case was filed over the rape, and five men had already been arrested in this connection.

Later in the day, Law Adviser Prof Asif Nazrul expressed his shock and outrage over the heinous crime.

"The home ministry took immediate action ... the key suspects and others have already been arrested," he told reporters at the Foreign Service Academy yesterday.

"We are committed to dealing with the case with the utmost importance."

Meanwhile, Cumilla's Additional Superintendent of Police (Muradnagar Circle) AKM Quamruzzaman said, "Many people tried to label the incident as an extramarital affair, but our primary investigation didn't bear out anything like that.

"The woman, whom we found to be quite simple in her demeanour, was subjected to brutal torture. We're attaching highest importance to the matter."

He made the remarks after visiting the rape survivor yesterday.

"We're trying to know whether any other people were involved in the torture and recording of the video," the official added.

So far, five people have been arrested in connection with the rape incident.

Of them, the prime accused, Fazor Ali, 36, was arrested in Dhaka around 5:00am yesterday.

Four others were arrested for assaulting the woman, filming the incident and spreading the video on social media. They are Sumon, Romzan, Arif, and Anik from Cumilla, said Cumilla Superintendent of Police Nazir Ahmed Khan.

A Cumilla court sent the four to jail yesterday, said Sadequr Rahman, police inspector assigned to the court.

On top of Friday's rape case, the woman yesterday filed another case under the Pornography Control Act, 2012, with Muradnagar Police Station.

The four who have already been arrested and several other unnamed people stand accused in the case.

Fazor Ali was made the sole accused in the rape case filed under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act, 2000, with the same police station.

According to the case statement, the woman was raped at knifepoint in Ramchandrapur Panchkitta village under Muradnagar upazila. She, a mother of two, had gone to visit her father's house about two weeks ago.

The Daily Star correspondent yesterday visited the area and spoke to the rape survivor, her mother, and their neighbours.

The survivor said Fazor, one of her neighbours, broke into her house on Thursday night while other family members were out attending a programme.

He raped her at knifepoint and threatened to kill her if she disclosed the incident. Locals rushed to the scene when she began screaming. They apprehended Fazor and beat him up.

Around that time, a group of people arrived at the scene and started assaulting the woman as well. A video of the assault and tearing of her clothes was later circulated online.

Her mother told The Daily Star that her daughter was home alone Thursday night as she and other family members went to attend Kirtan nearby.

When she heard that people had gathered at their house, she rushed back. "When I got back to my house, I saw that my daughter's clothes had been torn off and she was being beaten."

Abdur Rob, a former member of the local union parishad, said Fazor is notorious in the area for his involvement in drug dealing. "Although he does not hold any political posts, he switches from one party to another with the change of the regime."

Muradnagar Police Station Officer-in-Charge Jahidur Rahman said Fazor is currently undergoing treatment at the Cumilla Police Lines Hospital with a broken hand and a leg.

Fazor was first admitted to the Cumilla Medical College Hospital after being beaten up by locals on Thursday night, he said.

He fled from the hospital to a private clinic at Jatrabari in Dhaka after hearing a rape case was filed against him on Friday.

Police arrested Fazor from there the following morning, the OC added.

[Our Correspondent from Cumilla contributed to the report.]