Despite continual demonstration from Umme Kulsum Ritu’s family members, her classmates and teachers of East Point Education School and College and neighbours in the capital’s Khilgaon area, the main accused of three defendants in the case has secured bail from the High Court.
Hundreds of people including teachers and students staged a demonstration in the national press club area yesterday and formed a human chain protesting bail of the main accused, namely Simul Chandra Mondal, in the case filed with Khilgaon police station.
Ritu killed herself with poison on September 6 being anguished in the face of continuous sexual harassment by a local stalkers named Simul and his friends Rafiq, Jiyad, Billal, Pintu Chandra Mondal, Joygopal Chandra Mondal, alleged Shathi Begum, Ritu’s mother.
“I have filed the case against Simul as well as, his father Ranjan Mondal, mother Maloti Rani Mondal, Pintu, Joygopal. Ritu’s teachers tried several times to save my daughter from the harassment by making complain to his parents. But they (Simul’s parents) never controlled their son and they on the contrary assaulted the teachers.” said Shathi.
After the case, Khilgaon police arrested Rafiq, Jiyad and Billal but not the main accused although they were seen in the area always, alleged a neighbour of Ritu named Minara Begum.
When contacted, Khilgaon police station SI and also Investigation Officer of the case Shahjahan said: “We tried our best to arrest the prime accused but they went into hiding.”
Denying the allegation hurled by the neighbour, the officer said: “The criminal accused in the case are identified criminals of this area. After Ritu’s suicide they went into hiding. On November 27 they got bail from the High Court. Before getting bail if we found them, we must arrest them.”
After the bail, the accused have been threatening Ritu’s family members continuously to withdraw the case. Otherwise they will file a false case against them. Shathi said tear on eyes with feeble voice: “Continuously they threat us to withdraw the case. I and my husband are poor and also work as garment worker. My other son and daughter live in house alone. Now I am tensed with my other children.”
Ritu’s teacher and principal of her school Jahirul Islam told the Dhaka Tribune: “I wonder how those criminals get bail from the HC after being accused in a case filed for allegedly provoking a minor girl to suicide.”
During the two-hour demonstration, school students, teachers and locals laid siege to the house of the alleged stalker in Nandipara area, also demanding the immediate arrest of the culprits cancelling the bail.
The victim Ritu used to live with her family at Nandipara in Khilgaon. She was the eldest among three brothers and sisters. Her father Mohammad Ashiq and mother Sathi Akther are garment workers. Like everyday, Ritu’s parents went to work and her grandmother Fatema went to a neighbour’s house after lunch. Getting the chance, prime accused Shimul, along with Joy, stormed into Ritu’s house and tried to abuse her on September 6.
Hearing her screaming, Fatema rushed to the house but the stalkers left the spot promptly. At one stage, Fatema called on Ritu’s Bangla teacher Al-Amin, also their neighbour, for help.
Later, Ritu took poison to kill herself while Al-Amin and Fatema were discussing the possible steps in this regard.
