Let the Activism Continue
On April this year, the case of a 19 year old madrasah student, Nusrat Jahan Rafi shook the country. She was reportedly tied and burnt alive by a group of people who were loyal to her madrasah’s principal, SIraj ud Doula, in an attempt to silence her for reporting to the police on sexual harassment against the principal. The murder was planned by the principal from jail. On October 24, all of the 16 accused were given a death sentence by the Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal in Feni.
BBC News: Nusrat Jahan Rafi: Death penalty for 16 who set student on fire
Earlier this month, a 21 year old girl from Stamford University, Rubaiyat Sharmin Rumpa, was found dead near a building in Siddheshwari Circular Road. Police suspect that she was murdered after rape. A man who is reported to be Rumpa’s ex-boyfriend has been placed on remand. Police are still investigating the case. This incident took place on a day when the whole world was campaigning on ‘16 days of Activism against Gender Based Violence’.
bdnews24: Mystery shrouds death of university student Rumpa in Dhaka’s Siddheswari
On the night of March 28, 2017, two girls were gang-raped by men they have been friends with for two years. The girls were invited to Raintree Hotel, a posh hotel in Banani for a birthday party, where they were taken into a room and then gang-raped by two men. The incident was video taped by the driver of the accused. The accused are: Nayeem, Shafaat, his bodyguard and Shafaat’s driver Billal. In a recent news by Dhaka Tribune, it was reported that Shafat has been granted bail by Judge Khademul Kayes of Dhaka Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal 7 on health grounds.
Dhaka Tribune: Banani rape case: Shafat granted bail
The above are cases of gender based violence that received national attention. Similar incidents happen all year around which are less known. In most cases, the perpetrators either walk free, or are given a short sentence. From 25 November to 10 December, every year organisations and individuals engage in spreading awareness about gender based violence. This year’s theme was “Orange the World: Generation Equality Stands against Rape.”
BBC reported that the trial Nusrat’s murder case ‘has been one of the quickest in a country where such cases usually take years to conclude’. This was a result of the united activism of people all over Bangladesh who protested for Nusrat’s justice, which pushed the court to take quick action against all the people who were involved in Nusrat’s murder. Let this be a lesson for all perpetrators, and let us ‘Stand Against Rape’ every day throughout the year until perpetrators are given harsh punishment and until victims are brought to justice.
As we mark an end to the ‘16 days of activism’ campaign with International Human Rights Day, let us make sure that our activism does not come to an end.
