Rajshahi citizens group demand legal action into Sultana’s death

A group of citizens in Rajshahi today demanded legal action to ensure justice for the death of Sultana Jasmine while in Rab custody.

At a press conference held Rajshahi Union of Journalists' office at noon, prominent writer Mahbub Siddiki, said no case has been filed yet in this regard, although Sultana was accused in a case under the Digital Security Act.

"If no case is filed for her death, justice will remain elusive for her family."

Led by Siddiki, who is also president of Heritage Rajshahi, a history-based research organisation, a three-member group of citizens visited Naogaon, where Sultana was from, on Friday.

Other members were Prof Iftikharul Alam Mas-ud, a teacher of Arabic language department in Rajshahi University, and Hasnat Beg, lawyer and convenor of Rastra Sangskar Andolon.

They spoke to Sultana's family members, who told them about the family's inability to file a case.

"It appeared to us that Sultana's family members have been living in fear of harassment," Siddiki said, adding, "If not the family, the police could have recorded a case, but nothing was done."

Prof Mas-ud said they talked to two eye-witnesses of Sultana's detention, who said no female Rab member was present while she was being detained.

The group refused to give names of the witnesses but mentioned that one of them was a lawyer and the other a journalist.

They told the group that some plain-clothes law enforcers, all of whom were men, dragged Sultana into a microbus against her will.

Hasnat Beg demanded legal action against Enamul Haque, director of local government at the Rajshahi divisional commissioner's office, who filed the case against Sultana.

"Despite being a high official, Enamul Haque illegally used Rab to detain an employee under his jurisdiction and interrogate her in a way that led to her death."