A Poor Minority Girl abducted and raped for 7 days in Sylhet, Bangladesh

Dhaka, 6 May 2008 .
Report submitted by HRCBM-BNC


Allegation: Police denied registering FIR and thus encouraging criminals to indulge violence against minority women and girls. The incident depicts how police could be prejudiced and capable of disdaining country's stringent "Women and Children Protection Act".


Miss Mili Rani Malakar, daughter of Shri Khoka Malakar of village Kholadapunia, under Jokigunj PS of Sylhet was abducted on 24th April and left in a critical condition of unconscious at Bhattapara Primary School on 1 May late night, 94 miles away from East of Sylhet district Headquaters. Following day, local people collected fund and sent the victim in a stage of comma to the Osmani Hospital Sylhet. Doctors of the Hospital say the condition of the patient is very critical and she was mercilessly gang raped for days together. Mili is still under the medicare of Osmani Hospital' ICU and will remain there some more days. Nobody is allowed to see or talk to her prior local police permission. Reports published in the local dailies in Dhaka and Sylhet stated that Mili Rani is the only earning member of the family as her father is blind. She used to sell vaccine for poultry firms and somehow manage her family with this meager income . Due to continuous threat from the influential quarters, hapless blind father or mother couldn't file a case against the kidnappers and rapist of their daughter at the local police station . Nobody is speaking out against this crime fearing retribution, as the kidnapper come from a very notorious Uion Parisad member Abdul Lalif and his associates. More over, Officer in charge of Jokiganj D Zaman Milu (88-01713374381) who was told on leave, the second man in PS reluctantly denied to register the case . The family is passing hard days with starvation. HRCBM-Bangladesh National Chapter won't let go of this injustice & for highlighting the case- there's an urgent need to apply pressure on the police staff involved & to the higher administration in Bangladesh to save a the poor minority girl Miss Mili Malakar. This may kindly noted that Annual Report of USCIRF- 2008 on Bangladesh issued on 2 May, Friday in Washington rightly observed:" Rape is also reportedly a common form of anti-minority violence, and incidents regarding Hindu women were reported in 2007. The government commonly fails to punish the perpetrators of these acts against women, since the law enforcement and the judicial systems, especially at the local level, are vulnerable to corruption, intimidation, and political interference." In 2006, HRCBM filed a writ before Honorable High Court of Bangladesh to endow Justice to minority victims of hate crime. However, with sheer disappointment it can be stated that despite the favorable ruling from Honorable High Court, Government of Bangladesh is yet to comply with the ruling. Denying to comply with the ruling of it’s highest institution of Justice, Bangladesh government has again disdained country’s constitution and Justice system. Please visit http://www.hrcbm.org/news/writ_HRCBM_Bangladesh_2006.html to learn more about HRCBM Public benefit Litigation against government of Bangladesh.