Noakhali Gang-Rape: HC finds police, UP member negligent

The High Court yesterday observed that the negligence of local police and a union parishad member caused the incident of gang-rape and torture in Noakhali's Begumganj.

On September 2, 2020, the gang-rape and torture took place in Begumganj's Eklashpur union. Footage of the incident went viral on social media in the first week of October the same year.

The HC bench of Justice Md Mozibur Rahman Miah and Justice Md Kamrul Hossain Mollah made the observation while delivering a verdict on a suomoto rule on this issue.

According to the bench, it is evident from documents that the victim informed the local police and a union parishad member about her apprehension of being tortured. They, however, did not take any step to protect her.

The bench also said that the civil society members should come forward and play a role so that no such incident repeats in future.

Besides, the HC bench also directed the authorities to suspend four members of the Bangladesh Police.

They are Begumganj Police Station's then officer-in-charge Md Kamsruzzaman Shikder, then sub-inspector Habibur Rahman, then assistant sub-inspector Mafizul Islam, and Ali Asgar, member of village police in the area.

The court also directed the authorities to discharge Moazzem Hossain Sohagh, a member of the union parishad, of his duties.

It ordered to take departmental actions against them.

On October 5 last year, the HC bench issued the suomuto rule asking the authorities to explain why they should not be directed to take appropriate legal and departmental actions against the officials for their negligence.

The HC bench ordered the superintendent of Noakhali police to investigate the incident while ensuring all protection to the victim and her family.

At the same time, the HC formed a three-member committee to conduct an inquiry into whether the police were negligent.

The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) was ordered to remove the viral footage from social media.