Girl's 'suicide' triggers protest in Naogaon
Anwar Ali, back from Manda (Naogaon)
RAJSHAHI: Suicide of a girl at Kashopara village in Manda upazila, Naogaon has triggered violent demonstrations by several hundreds villagers on Wednesday and Thursday.The demonstrators demanded immediate arrest of three vagabonds including a ruling BNP leader's son. The commotion followed a court order for judicial probe into suicide of Selina Akhtar Banu, 22. The 'three culprits' are Ruhul Amin Shipu, 23, son of Omar Ali, Vice President of Manda Upazila BNP, Rezaul Karim, 26, son of late Abdur Rahman and Shajahan Ali Mondol, 24, son of Asir Uddin. A first class magistrate of the Court of Women and Children Repression Prevention, Naogaon ordered the investigation after a case filed with the court by the victim's father. In a big procession, the villagers also demanded arrest to culprits' relatives who gave an eviction threat to the victim's family. They threatened a tougher movement if justice is denied to the family. It was widely alleged, police let the three aforesaid youths flee away according to instructions of local BNP leaders. The trios, having previous records of rape at the village, used to tease everyday ill-fated Selina, a teacher of Legend Pre Cadet and Kindergarten School at Shingihat village and daughter of freedom fighter Solaiman Ali Dewan while she was on way to school. At one stage, her father settled her marriage at Govindapur village in the same upazila. Being annoyed at the decision, they waylaid Selina at 12pm on August 19 while she was on coming back home from school. They threatened to burn her by acid if she does not agree to marry Rezaul. On August 20, they made a futile attempt by offering Rezaul's marriage proposal to Selina's uncle Kafil Uddin, a village doctor, at his Shingihat Drug Store. Being rejected they went to Selina's house where they found her alone and attempted to rape her. Hearing screams, villagers rushed there to witness Selina crying after being stripped off by the culprits. Sensing danger, the three 'culprits' fled away. Selina became very upset and drank poison in the morning on August 21. The following day she died at Naogaon hospital. Promising justice to victim's father Solaiman, 65, local BNP leaders asked him to refrain from disclosing the matter outside their remote village, situated about 60 KM off Rajshahi. But, her freedom fighter father filed a case on August 30 and informed the matter to journalists. In reply to newsmen's query about his delay in filing the case, Solaiman told, he had been misguided by 'false promises' of BNP leaders which was ultimately not fulfilled by them. Selina's relative Ibrahim Hossain Dewan, also Joint Secretary of Kashopara union BNP, told this correspondent Shipu's father Omar Ali, another BNP leader threatened to evict the victim's family from the village if his son's name was not withdrawn from the case. Selina's brother Toasin Ali disclosed Rezaul's brother Abdur Razzak gave a threat to cut his hands and legs if his father does not withdraw the case. Selina's aunt Ferdousy Begum alleged that police were reluctant to lodge their complaints regarding threats on the family.
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