Over the past few years, a number of leaders and activists of Awami League and its affiliate organisations have been accused of raping and assaulting women and minor girls, tarnishing the ruling party’s image.
But the party leadership is yet to take into cognisance these incidents and take stern organisational or legal measures against the accused, even though these crimes have stained the government’s achievements.
Many leaders and activists, requesting anonymity, have told the Dhaka Tribune that these “unethical activities of a few” are ruining the party’s goodwill, but the party has done little beyond suspending or expelling the accused from the party, or whichever affiliate organisation they belong to.
This year alone there have been numerous incidents of rape across Bangladesh, a significant number of which were allegedly committed by leaders or activists of the ruling party or its wings.
Last month, a college girl in Bogra had come forward alleging that Morshedul Bari, chairman of Bhatra union and president of the union unit of Awami League, raped her for years.
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She also filed a case against him with Shahjahanpur police station on August 31.
In Bhola, Bangladesh Chhatra League’s district unit General Secretary Riaz Mahmud raped a ninth-grader several months ago, after promising to marry her.
On August 26, the victim’s family at a press conference had demanded justice from Awami League Presidium Member Tofail Ahmed, who is the Bhola-1 lawmaker, when Riaz rejected their marriage proposal. The victim’s family also claimed that the minor girl was two-month pregnant at the time.
In July, Sramik League’s Bogra town unit convenor Tufan Sarker had lured a young girl with the promise to help her get into a good college and then raped her numerous times. The victim, who passed her Secondary School Certificate exams this year, said several of his associates had abetted Tufan in the act.
When the victim’s family tried to file a case against them, she and her mother were picked up and assaulted by Tufan’s wife Asha Akter and his elder sister Marzia Hasan Rumki, a reserved seat councillor of Bogra Municipality, and others. They released the two after shaving off their hair.
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Police arrested 11 people including Tufan, Asha and Marzia after the victim’s family filed a case on July 28.
On March 26, Patuakhali’s Rangabali upazila Awami League unit General Secretary Enamul Islam Litu and several others tried to rape the general secretary of Jubo Mahila League’s ward-5 unit in the upazila.
The victim and her family at a press conference the next day alleged that police did not record their complaint against Litu. He also threatened her for trying to start a case.
On March 28, she filed the lawsuit Litu and his cohorts with Patuakhali Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal.
Before that, former treasurer of Awami League’s Sirajganj municipality unit Shahdat Hossain and Jubo League’s ward no 15 unit General Secretary Rubel Hossain raped a minor girl in Sirajganj Sadar upazila on January 14.
Police said the duo had raped the girl after making her drink some concoction of drugs mixed in a soft drink when her father was not home.
However, Ahmed Hossain, one of the organising secretaries of Awami League, blatantly claimed: “Such allegations against our supporters are rootless and biased. No Awami League men were involved with any kind of rape or assault on women.
“All the allegations are just part of a conspiracy against the government.”
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Bangladesh Chhatra League General Secretary SM Jakir Hossain told the Dhaka Tribune that they have suspended every leader and activist accused of raping or assaulting any woman or minor girl.
He said: “When someone commits a crime like rape, it’s their personal problem. As a student organisation, we’ll never allow such people to be with us. Chhatra League leaders and activists have been strictly ordered to not get involved in such incidents that tarnish our image.”
Awami Jubo League General Secretary Harunur Rashid told the Dhaka Tribune: “A perpetrator is a perpetrator. He has no political identity. It should not matter who he is. Every rapist should be punished according to the law.
“We’ll never tolerate any criminal in our organisation. We’ll show zero tolerance to anyone accused of such crimes. Not only have we urged the law enforcement agencies to carry out their duties, we’ll help them from our side if needed.”
The youth wing’s Deputy Publication Secretary Iqbal Mahmood Bablu said: “If any of our members is found involved in unethical activities, we’ll take all necessary steps against them.”
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However, a top-level police official, requesting anonymity, told the Dhaka Tribune: “When it comes to any kind of case against any political leader or activist or someone influential, not just the ones with rape charges, we do face pressure from political parties sometimes when we take steps or make arrests.
“We, however, try to move quickly and take the necessary legal action against the accused in rape cases as it is one of the worst crimes anyone can commit.”
But the official said police always verify first the rape accusations made against anyone politically significant before making arrests. “We don’t anyone to become victim of any false allegation.”
“Sometimes, we even release the accused after they settle the matter with the victim mutually.”