A Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) leader named Solaiman Ali Sabuj is accused of raping a Hindu housewife after threatening to kill her husband. Chhatra League (i.e. Student League) is the student wing of the ruling Awami League, considered the more ‘moderate’ of the 2 main parties in Bangladesh, the other being the openly Islamist BNP (Bangladesh Nationalist Party) which often allies with Jamaat-e-Islami.
Solaiman Sabuj was surrounded by locals after the victim gathered courage and shouted. But BCL activists came at the spot and helped his escape. The incident took place at Barohat Kali in Kulaghat Union of Lalmonirhat Sadar Upazila, Lalmonirhat district of Bangladesh on the evening of October 13.
The victim is the wife of Jaldhar Biswas, the son of deceased Navdas of that area. The accused Solaiman Ali Sabuj is the son of Sofiqul Islam of Kulaghat area of the same union and general secretary of the local union Chhatra League, the student wing of the ruling Awami League.
Meanwhile, the local Awami League leaders and other influential people of that village created pressure on the victim and her husband to forcibly settle the issue and cover up the crime by offering money. When they refused this offer, Awami League activists kept them confined by positioning guards in front of their house.
The victim and her family could not leave the house, nor could they talk to anyone. After this went on for three days, they were evicted from their house after forcibly taking their sign on 3 non-judicial stamp papeprs worth TK 100.
Later, the woman and her husband Jaldhar mover to her father’s house in Kurigram. From there, on Tuesday (October 17) evening, the victim housewife returned to Lalmonirhat Sadar Police Station and filed a written complaint.
The housewife said that Chhatra League leader Sabuj was stalking and harassing her for long, forcing her to submit to his sexual demands. But she kept refusing and avoiding him. Her husband earns a living by trading fish in the local Kulaghat market. The Chhatra League leader Sabuj threatened to kill her husband Jaldhar Biswas on his way back from the market at night. Later on the evening of the crime, he knocked on the door of the woman’s house.
As soon as she opened the door, Sabuj gagged and raped her. At one point, when she screamed, neighbors came running and caught him when he tried to flee. After getting the news, the local Chhatra League activists came to the spot and snatched Sabuj away.
Jaldhar Biswas, the husband of the victim, said that “He used to harass my wife. When she refused his advances, he raped her when she was alone at home. Later, Sabuj and his group pressured me to settle this matter with money. When we did not agree to this, they did not let us leave the house for three days. On Monday (16 October) afternoon, he (Sabuj) forcibly took our signatures on 3 blank stamp papers of TK 100 and evicted us out of our house”.
“Later, we went and took shelter at the home of my father-in-law at Kurigram. From there we returned to Lalmonirhat Sadar Police Station and lodged a written complaint. Durga Puja is ahead, and they have robbed us of the joy of worship. I want justice and severe punishment for the Chhatra League leader,” Jaldhar lamented.
Awami League leader Solaiman Ali Sabuj claimed Jaldhar called him to his house ‘because of some problem’ and that his wife called the people of the area and ‘falsely slandered’ him.
Omar Farooq, OC of Sadar police station, said that he received a complaint last Tuesday night in this regard and appropriate legal action will be taken.
Note, Bangladesh newspaper The Daily Star has covered the incident but completely censored the Hindu identity of the victim. If a similar incident had occurred in Bharat, with the accused being linked to BJP and the victim from a minority community, the same news would have created international shockwaves.
