HC issues directives to stop stalking

Source: The Daily Star News

Star Online Report

The High Court on Tuesday directed the inspector general of police to take immediate steps to arrest all stalkers on charge of harassing girls and women in public and work places.

It also ordered deputy commissioners across the country to remain on high alert over the incidents of stalking.

A division bench comprising Justice Md Imman Ali and Justice Obaidul Hasan passed the order following a writ petition by Bangladesh National Women Lawyers Association.

Advocate Shahina Nasrin, a Supreme Court lawyer and a leader of the association, filed the writ petition with the HC on Monday in the backdrop of the persistent incidents of stalking across the country.

The judges directed the home secretary and the IGP to take steps for the protection of the victims of stalking.

They also ordered the police to take legal actions against perpetrators and stalkers.

The court asked the law secretary to consult with other high officials concerned for formulating guidelines and a policy to address the problem.

It also directed the government to turn in a report within a month on steps it will take to implement the directives.

December 6 has been set for further hearing on the issue.

Girl takes her life on kidnap

Source: The Daily Star News

Rajshahi stabber held; writ petition filed for guideline against stalking

L-R: Sushil Shil and Nabibur Rahman

Just six days after Chanpa Rani Bhowmik had been fatally run over by two bike riding stalkers of her daughters in Faridpur, a thirteen-year-old girl committed suicide yesterday after her male stalker kidnapped and confined her in a room in Sirajganj.

Meanwhile, police yesterday arrested a stalker of a woman from Rajshahi, who is accused in a case for stabbing his victim's husband, son, and a relative in Naogaon.

A Faridpur court, the same day, placed stalker Debashish Saha Rony on a three-day remand in connection with the murder of Chanpa Rani, whose twin daughters Hira and Mukta were his targets.

Against the backdrop of an alarming rise in stalking of women by unruly men in the country recently, Bangladesh National Women Lawyers' Association (BNWLA) filed a public interest writ petition with the High Court yesterday, seeking direction for the government to formulate a policy and guidelines for protection of women and girls from stalking.

Petitioner Fahima Nasrin, a BNWLA leader, said under the existing law the highest punishment for stalking is three-year imprisonment, which seems inadequate as a deterrent in the face of increasing instances of the crime. The HC will hear the petition today, she added.

Yesterday's victim Rupali Rani of Bogra bordering Sirajganj, who was a student of class IX at Simabari SR Girls' School, hanged herself from a ceiling beam around 8:30am after stalker Sushil Shil, 18, kidnapped her and kept her confined in a room of his residence in Sirajganj.

Sushil kidnapped Rani around 6:30am on her way to a coaching centre in Sirajganj. He also forcefully put vermilion on her forehead to imply that she was married to him according to the Hindu custom.

Discovering Rani's body hanging from the ceiling, Sushil tried to flee the area, but local residents caught him and handed him over to police, said Amirul Islam, officer-in-charge of Raiganj Police Station.

Locals said Shushil had been harassing Rani with unwelcome advances on her way to and from school and the coaching centre over the last few months.

Rani's brother Kanak Kumar filed a case with Raiganj police in connection with his sister's death.

In another incident, police yesterday arrested stalker of a woman, Nabibur Rahman alias Luku, 35, from Rajshahi, who on Saturday had stabbed his stalking victim's husband Abdul Hannan, her son, and one of her relatives in Khash-Naogaon area of Naogaon.

Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid yesterday visited the residence of murdered Natore College teacher Mizanur Rahman in Chawk Laxmipur village under Charghat upazila of Rajshahi, and also Abdul Hannan and his son in Rajshahi Medical College Hospital.

Mizannur died in a hospital of the capital on October 24, after being severely injured from an attack by two stalkers of women, for protesting against their harassment of college girls.

HC direction sought to prevent females from stalking

Source: The Daily Star News

The High Court was requested on Monday to direct the government to formulate guidelines and a policy for the protection of women and girls from stalking on their way to and from educational institutions and other public places.

Filing the writ petition as public interest litigation, Bangladesh National Women Lawyers Association also sought directions upon the government to take immediate steps for enactment of a proper legislation to address the problem.

Advocate Fahima Nasrin, a lawyer of the country’s apex court and a leader of the group, filed the petition. She told The Daily Star that the HC will hear the petition on Tuesday.

She said the highest punishment for stalking is three years’ imprisonment as per the existing law.

The jail term should be enhanced since the incidents of stalking are taking place on regular basis.

Yet another minority girl falls victim to stalking

Source: The Daily Star News

Tari Rani (middle), mother of Sirajganj stalking victim Rupali Rani, cries out loud on Monday after hearing the news of her daughter’s death. (Inset) Rupali Rani. Photo: STAR

A 13-year-old girl on Monday committed suicide in Raiganj upazila of Sirajganj in the house of a stalker who had abducted and confined her for hours, police said.

Stalker Sushil Shil, 18, of Nijhuri village in the upazila was arrested.

Victim Rupali Rani, a class nine student of Simabari SR Girl's School, was on her way to a coaching centre in Sirajganj just crossing the boundary of Bogra district at around 6:30am.

Sushil waylaid her and forcibly took her to his house. He also forced her to wear vermilion on her head--- implying that she was married under the Hindu law, our Bogra correspondent reports quoting Sherpur Police Station Officer-in-Charge Amirul Islam.

When Rupali protested the incident, Sushil confined her to a room, prompting her to commit suicide at around 8:30am, the OC added.

At one stage, Sushil discovered her hanging body and tried to flee the area. But soon the villagers caught him and handed him over to Raipur Police Station, Raipur police chief Samsul Haque told our Sirajganj correspondent.

Locals from both the districts informed the correspondents that Sushil had been harassing Rupali for the last few months.

The body of Rupali, the daughter of Sunil Bayati of Khalisabari village in Sherpur Upazila of Bogra, was kept in Sirajganj Sadar Hospital morgue.

Hill people still victim of land grabbing: Larma

Source: The Daily Star News

Santu LarmaOur Correspondent, Rangamati

Chief of Parbatya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Samity (PCJSS) Jyotirindra Bodhipriya Larma yesterday said Bangla speaking people from the plain land are still grabbing the lands of jummo (indigenous) people in Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) under the shelter of a vested interest group.

Security personnel are maintaining dominance over the hilly areas in the name of peacekeeping while the people of CHT region are passing their days amidst insecurity, the PCJSS leader, who is popularly known as Santu Larma, said at 'freshers' reception' on the campus of Rangamati Government College.

He was addressing as chief guest at the event organised by the college unit of Pahari Chhatra Parishad (PCP), a student front of PCJSS, in the morning.

Referring to the government's decision to set up a university of science and technology and a medical college in Rangamati, Larma, also chairman of CHT Regional Council, said new problems will be created in CHT if those institutions are set up without considering whether CHT people want them.

"Many indigenous people were evicted due to the creation of Kaptai Dam. They lost their arable land and homesteads. The jummo people do not want to lose their lands any more," said the former guerrilla leader.

"During the 39 years of independence, we have failed to establish a progressive and democratic government in the country. And so, crime and corruption has grabbed the country and human right is being violated everywhere," he lamented.

Blaming the government for politicising all the three hill district councils in CHT, he said nowadays the poor people have hardly any scope to get help or assistance as the ruling party men are enjoying all the facilities from the organisations.

Suggesting the students to acquire knowledge from the outside environment alongside academic education to become worthy citizen, Larma called upon them to come forward for full implementation of the CHT deal.

Chaired by Dhiresh Chakma, a student and president of PCP Rangamati College unit, the function was also addressed, among others, by civil society leader Prakriti Ranjan Chakma, former PCP central president Udoyan Tripura, its central committee general secretary Sunirmol Dewan and district secretary Nitol Chakma.

Later, a band show programme was held at the college campus.

Generating awareness on minority rights with a play

Source: The Daily Star News

The play and performances aim to generate awareness and disseminate information among the mainstream communities about indigenous people and dalit groups.Photo: STAR

Quamrul Islam Rubaiyat, Thakurgaon

“Handi Kutum”, a play that aims to generate awareness on the rights of indigenous people and dalit, was staged at different villages under Sadar and Pirgonj upazila of Thakurgaon last Tuesday and Wednesday.

On Tuesday the play was staged at Matrigaon and Kaharpara villages under Sadar upazila. On Wednesday Bashmonipara and Azlabad villages witnessed the play.

Artistes of a cultural team, consisting of indigenous people, under the project 'Promotion of Rights for Indigenous And Dalits Improvement Programme' (PRODIP) staged the play.

Eco Social Development Organisation (ESDO) organised the programmes in association with HEKS Bangladesh with a view to develop awareness among the indigenous people and dalits about their rights.

The programme also aims to generate awareness and disseminate information among the mainstream communities about indigenous people and dalit groups, so that they can live harmoniously and uphold their traditions.

The play also addressed different social issues, including women's rights, necessity of education, health care, evils of drug abuse and early marriage.

The cast of the play included Chaina Ram Tirki, Rani Kujur, Kanchan Singh, Maggi Toppo, Rana Kujur, Ekka, Shuren Toppo and Shanchoy Miniz. Mohammad Shahin coordinated the play.

Earlier discussions were held at these venues where General Secretary of Pirgonj Upazila Adibashi Unnayan Forum, Dandu Mormu and human rights activists Mominur Rahaman Bishal, Mohammad Shahin, among others, spoke.

Bangladesh Hindu Buddha Christian Oikya Parishad leaders call on PM

Source: The New Nation

A delegation of Bangladesh Hindu Buddha Christian Oikya Parishad on Sunday called on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the latter's office here.

The delegation members apprised the Prime Minister of various problems of the parishad, said Prime Minister's Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad after the meeting.

During the meeting, Sheikh Hasina gave them a patient hearing and assured them to look into the matters.

President of the Parishad Maj. Gen. (Retd) C R Dutta, Bir Uttam, led the delegation which was comprised of its General Secretary Rana Das Gupta, leaders of the parisad Adv Subrata Chowdhury, Shiril Sikder, Nirmal Chatterjee, Babul Devnath and Barrister Biplab Barua.

Among others, Secretary to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) Molla Waheeduzzaman and Prime Minister's Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad were present.

Later, another delegation of Bangladesh Buddha Christi Pracher Sangha, led by its President Sudhananda Mohathero, called on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her office.

During the meeting, they invited the Prime Minister to attend the Lord Buddha statue installation ceremony at Kamalapur Buddha Bihar in the capital on February 23 next.

Sheikh Hasina accepted the invitation to attend the function. Mentioned that Thailand is sending the statue of the Lord Buddha to the Buddhist community in Bangladesh.

General Secretary of the organization Dr Pranab Barua, among others, were in the delegation.

Secretary to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) Molla Waheeduzzaman, Prime Minister's Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad and PM's Private Secretary Nazrul Islam Khan were present.