Bangladesh: Victim's family, not rapists, on the run

Source: The Daily star

Family of the Kalapara gang-rape victim went into hiding leaving home on Tuesday after police remained inactive against the rapists amidst reprisal from the perpetrators.
Meanwhile, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Kalapara Police Station Ishaq Ali claimed that the girl (victim) submitted a written statement to the police station yesterday declaring she was not raped.
Father of the teenaged schoolgirl, who was kidnapped and gang-raped by 10 Bangladesh Chhatra League activists on Friday, left his house along with his wife, three daughters and a son.
Relatives of the victim said they are afraid of revealing the family's present whereabouts; that would earn them wraths from the rapists and their political mentors.
Locals and relatives alleged the ruling Awami League Kalapara upazila unit secretary Rakibul Ahsan took signatures from the victim and her father after staging village arbitration and awarding fines of Tk 10,000 each to the 10 rapists to ensure their escape.
They also suspected the statement submitted in the name of the victim was actually one of those blank paper signed under coercion.
Asked who submitted the statement, the OC could not answer but said he was away from the office till 3:00pm and was busy attending a case in the court.
The duty officer, who was present at the police station in absence of the OC, also could not ascertain who submitted the statement.