A schoolteacher in Dhaka’s South Kafrul has accused her school’s governing body chairman, who is also a local Awami League leader, of forcing her into a physical relationship and having an abortion.
She filed a case against the accused with Kafrul police station on June 16, and alleged that his family and friends have been pressuring her to withdraw the case for the past one month.
The accused is SM Anamul Haque Polok, 45, legal affairs secretary of Awami League’s Dhaka North Ward 16 unit.
The Dhaka Tribune could not reach Polok for comment despite several attempts on Tuesday.
Sub-Inspector Md Sohel Rana of Kafrul police station, the case investigation officer, said Polok went into hiding soon after the case was filed.
Speaking to Dhaka Tribune on Tuesday, the woman said Polok, chairman of the governing body of the school in South Kafrul where she used to be a teacher, was involved with her in a romantic relationship.
“He proposed marriage, but since he was already married with children, I rejected him. But he insisted on getting married, saying that he had enough wealth to take care of two wives,” she added.
The woman said she finally accepted Polok’s proposal on June 19, 2019, but after that he forced her into a physical relationship several times.
When she became pregnant at one point, Polok forced her to terminate the pregnancy in the third month with medicine, she alleged.
He also advised her to resign from her job, saying that her working at the school would compromise his position as chairman of the governing body and a local politician, she said.
“That is why I quit my job in December. He forced me to have sex with him on May 5 this year, giving me the same promise of marriage. But when I became pregnant again and started insisting on marriage, he stopped contacting me,” the woman told Dhaka Tribune.
Locals in the area tried to settle the issue between the two, but Polok did not budge, she said.
“That is why I filed a rape case against Anamul Haque Polok on June 16,” she added.
Now, the woman who is from another district, said she was living in fear as Polok’s family and friends were threatening her.
“How long can I continue to fight as a woman? He [Polok] is influential in the area. I am terrified,” she said.
Speaking to Dhaka Tribune on Tuesday, Sub-Inspector Sohel Rana said they were investigating the case.
“The woman was sent for medical tests [for her pregnancy claims]. We have not received the test results yet,” he added.
