This is the highest level of injustice: HC

The High Court yesterday expressed its outrage over the rape of an eight-year-old child in Magura, stating that the incident represented the highest level of injustice.

The HC bench of Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Debasish Roy Chowdhury made the remarks after hearing a writ petition in connection to the case.

The judges said they were at a loss for words. They emphasised the need for collective steps to prevent brutal incidents like rapes from ever happening again.

In response to the writ petition, the HC directed the police to complete the case investigation in 30 days and ordered the Magura's Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal to dispose of the case within 180 days of accepting the chargesheet.

The HC also ordered the authorities concerned to ensure the health care, security, and welfare of the eight-year-old child and her elder sister.

The HC further directed the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission, inspector general of police, and Dhaka metropolitan police commissioner to remove the name, photos, and videos of the child from all news and social media outlets in 24 hours and to take legal action against those who are responsible for circulating those in three days.

The officials concerned have been ordered to submit reports after complying with the directives to the HC by March 17, Deputy Attorney General Tamim Khan told The Daily Star.

The HC bench issued the directives following a writ petition moved by Supreme Court lawyers Hamidul Misbah and Syed Mahsib Hossain seeking necessary directives to this effect.

Read more

Arresting rapists is not enough

The third grader was visiting her elder sister's house in Magura town as her school was closed for Ramadan when she was raped there early Wednesday.

Police arrested her sister's husband, father-in-law, brother-in-law, and mother-in-law following the incident. They were later sent to jail.

Three of them were accused in the rape case, and the father-in-law, the prime accused, was shown arrested under Section 54 as he was detained before filing the rape case.

Meanwhile, Magura police were unable to bring the arrested to court for a scheduled remand hearing due to security concerns arising from protesters blocking the court's main gate.

Md Alauddin, inspector (investigation) of Magura Sadar Police Station, said, "Investigators have submitted an application seeking a seven-day remand for the accused. The remand hearing has been postponed,"

"Once the situation calms down, the accused will be taken to court under strict security," added Alauddin, also the case investigating officer.

Earlier, students took out a procession from the Magura Government Hossain Shaheed Suhrawardy College campus around 11:00am, demanding the highest punishment of the rapists.

Subsequently, they reached the main gate of the Magura Chief Judicial Magistrate's Court and continued their protest.

Later, on the assurance of the army, they left around 2:30pm and blocked the Dhaka-Khulna highway at the Bhaynar intersection.

The girl is currently undergoing treatment at the ICU of the Combined Military Hospital (CMH).

Citing doctors, her mother told this newspaper yesterday that the child was still in critical condition and that she has yet to regain consciousness.

"The doctors here are trying to improve her condition. They pumped water out of her lungs and gave her blood today. They have found a blockage in one of the arteries in her neck and found internal injuries to her brain. They say she might need surgery."