Investigative Report of HRCBM on the incident of rape of Minority children Ms. Soma Rani Paul (10)) of village – Shingerbil, P.S. and District – Brahmanbaria. Incident took place on 24th April 2007 at about 1.00 at night (Investigation conducted by HRCBM-Dhaka on May 12, 2007).
I, Adv.Rabindra Ghosh along with S.Chowdhury of HRCBM-Dhaka proceeded towards Brahmanbaria police station on 12th May, 2007 at about 8 a.m. to ascertain the truthfulness of rape of children from Dhaka in the morning by bus and reached there at about 11 a.m. on basis of news published in the national daily " Samakal" dated 28th April, 2007.
GROUND INFORMATION:
Ms.Soma Rani Paul (10) is a minor child of Haradhan Chandra Paul (father) and Ms.Chanchala Rani Paul (mother) permanently residing at Shibnagar, P.O. Shingerbil, P.S. & District-Brahmanbaria, Bangladesh by religion – Hindu, by nationality –Bangladeshi by profession – student of class II. She gave up her education due to financial hardship. They are destitute but simple law-abiding citizens of Bangladesh. They pass their lives with scanty income. She got one brother more two small sisters not capable to continue study for paucity of fund.
One Abu Taher (42) son of late Sona Meah of village-Shingerbil, P.S. and District-B.Baria is the husband of Ms.Rafea Khatun, one local U.P. female member of the local administration. Abu Taher got his own marriageable daughter also. He was trying to fulfill his desire to do illegal intercourse with this victim-Ms.Soma Rani. On 24th of April, 2007 at about 09.00 a.m. Abu Taher had gone to house of Ms.Soma Rani and requested legal guardian of the victim to accompany Ms.Soma Rani to issue VGF card for relief good from Union Parishad. The poor guardian, on good faith, accepted the proposal of Abu Taher and allowed their children to accompany for getting VGF cards from Union Parishad. Abu Taher carried the child from their house and brought her at Akhaura, bought some costume for allurement, carried her in a house at Brahmabaria town. Mr.Soma Rani was given to understand that she would be given VGF card on that understanding she stayed in a unidentified room at night on good faith, but at about 1.00 night on 25th night Abu Taher entered into that room of the victim and jumped over her, opened the wearing clothes by force and started to rape twice without her consent. The victim children started hue and cry, but the rapist intimidated her to kill by a knife. As a result the victim became senseless due to repeated sexual intercourse. In the next morning Abu Taher carried her again near railway station. As there was no train at that time he brought the victim at Shingerbill Bazar and dropped her abandoned at northern side of a bridge in full-blooded condition and escaped. Sawpan Paul – brother of the victim traced Soma Rani in a precarious condition and recovered her. Then the wretched victim described all her experiences how she has been traumatized.
Sawpan Paul – brother of the victim lodged F.I.R. at O.C. Brahmanbaria police station on behalf of the minor children on 26.04.2007 against the rapist – Abu Taher under section 7/9(1) of Nari-O-Shishu Nirjatan Ain, 2003 that has been recorded as B.Baria P.S. case No.114 dated 26.04.2007.
INVESTIGATION :
We reached B.Baria police station at about 11 a.m. and found the O.C. Md.Mohiuddin (01713373730). We sought for necessary co-cooperation from O.C. to ascertain the spot where the victim was raped. The O.C. could not identify the spot and requested us to meet the I.O. of the case at Champak Nagar 30 kilometers from police station and it was very difficult to reach Champak Nagar police camp and it took 2 and half hours to reach police camp by engine boat and met with the I.O. of the case- Abul Kalam Azad The I.O. told us that he could not arrest the rapist despite his endeavor. We asked the I.O. whether the victim was accorded medical assistance or not, the I.O. told me that it was not possible on his part as there was no medical center nearby for her treatment. I also informed the situation to Mr.Ataul Kibria –Superintendent of Police, B.Baria over his cell telephone No.01713373725.
Statements of the victim-child:
We have asked the victim – Ms.Soma Rani how she has been victimized, traumatized and raped, on query she expressed that she has been cheated and misrepresented that she would be given VGF cards for relief materials from Union Parishad as perpetrator's wife is a local U.P. Member. She and her legal guardian accepted the proposal and she accompanied up to Brahmanbaria town as like as her father on good faith. But on that night she was raped two times despite her hue and cry in an unidentified house at B.Baria. She also narrated that after constant sexual intercourse she became senseless and nobody came forward for her treatment and the perpetrator threatened to death with sharp knife. Later on she has been carried with a full-blooded vagina and abandoned her body near a bridge and later her brother – Sawpan Paul, has traced her. She was crying for justice and for legal shelter and rehabilitation by any kind-heated organization. She also thanked us for our legal help and assistance. We have videotaped her full statements.
Meeting with the guardian of the victim-child:
We went to the house of the victim at about 4 p.m. 15 kilometers from Champak Nagar police camp and met the legal guardian of the victims and others who are very much annoyed with nefarious activities of rapist-Abu Taher. They offered us cold drink although they got no capacity to purchase any tea or cold drink; we took cold drink on repeated hospitality. They also requested us to take care of the raped victim in future, as they find no security of life of the victim because of case filed in the police station against the powerful rapist. We assured them that the raped victim would be rehabilitated if our Headquarters approves project.
Recommendations and Findings:
1)The destitute minority child has been misrepresented in the name of offering VGF card by the perpetrator – Abu Taher and she has been enticed away from her house and not only he cheated her legal guardian but also raped twice on false personification and thus the perpetrator committed serious offence punishable under Women and Child repression Act.
2)The I.O. of the case has miserably failed to arrest the perpetrator till submission of this report. We found no alertness/sincerity on I.O. to apprehend the rapist.
3)Police did not arrange any medical treatment for recovery of the victim-child as soon as I.O. came to know that she been abandoned in a full blooded condition near a bridge, although police sent victim to Brahmanbaria Medical for medical examination whether she has been raped or not but no measures for recovery of her injury inflicted upon her could be initiated.
4)HRCBM is greatly concerned at the incident of rape upon Ms.Soma Rani Paul- minority child of Brahmanbaria in Bangladesh.
a)the victim should be given adequate compensation;
b)the perpetrators should be brought to book immediately;
c)the victim should be provided legal assistance;
d)the minority children/women should be protected as per law of the land and also international protocol;
e)Sexual harassment by the perpetrators should be stopped;
f)Ending violence against women and children should be the special events;
g)Caretaker Government of Bangladesh should take necessary steps to safeguard the minority women and children;
h)Rehabilitation of the victim-child should be made immediately as her legal guardian sought for legal shelter and rehabilitation by any other organization in the country.
We came back from Brahmanbaria by train on the same night and reached Dhaka at about 1 a.m.
Prepared and submitted by:
(Adv.Rabindra Ghosh)
President-HRCBM-Dhaka-Bangladesh.
A minority child in Bhramanbaria district raped (The Daily Samokal, 28th April 07)
From Our Correspondent
BHRAMANBARIA, April 28: Taher Miah (45), husband of a woman member of Bhramanbaria Union Parishad raped a child of 10 years old of a poor minority family. Brother of the victim as a complainant lodged a case with the local police station in this connection.
Taher Miah, husband of Rukia Begum, a woman member of reserved wards no. 7, 8, and 9 of Singarbil Union brought the child along with him for giving a VGF card to her poor family of village Shibnagar. The victim in custody of police told that Taher Miah took her to an unknown place of Bhramanbaria by train and raped her on Tuesday night. Taher Miah later left her in village Amodabad of Shibnagar on Wednesday morning in critical condition. Later on information, family of the child rescued her.
Prepared and submitted by:
(Adv.Rabindra Ghosh)
President-HRCBM-Dhaka-Bangladesh.