Bogra 'Rape' Victim in Hospital: Time to go home but fear stalks

The teenage girl, allegedly raped and tortured by Sramik League leader Tufan Sarker, is now concerned over her safety as doctors said she and her mother can go home from the hospital.

Sonatan Chakrabarty, additional superintendent of police in Bogra, however, told The Daily Star that the court will decide where the victim and her mother will live considering the issue of security.

The victims are supposed to appear before a Bogra court today, he informed.

They are still haunted by the memory of torture while the bruises from torture are yet to heal.

"I lose my mind and break down whenever the memories flash across my mind," the girl told The Daily Star at the hospital yesterday.

Noting that there were adequate securities at the hospital, she said she was scared to go outside. "I don't know what will happen when we return home.”

The victim, who passed SSC this year and had been seeking college admission, now wants to focus on her future and continue her studies.

“I want to concentrate on my main goal: studies,” she added.

The victim and her mother demanded capital punishment of the accused and an exemplary punishment of local councilor Marzia Hasan Rumki.

“I want a remarkable punishment of Rumki. How could she torture a girl and her family being a woman herself?” her mother asked. “I urge the government to suspend her (Rumki) from the post of councilor.”

Earlier in the morning, doctors told reporters that the victims had recovered physically.

Local MP Nurul Islam Omar on Saturday visited the victims at the hospital and provided them with some financial assistance.  He said he would discuss about the heinous crime in parliament.

Meanwhile, a Bogra court sent Tufan and Ward Councilor Rumki to jail yesterday.

Tufan and Rumki, after being on remand for seven and six days, refrained from giving confessional statements, police said.

However, Tufan's cohorts Atik, Munna and barber Jibon Rabi Das earlier confessed to their roles in the crime.

About the investigation, ASP Sonatan said, “The medical report found evidence of the crime. We hope the charge sheet will be prepared soon.”

On July 17, Tufan Sarker, convener of Bogra unit of the ruling Awami League's worker front, abducted the girl from her home and raped her and then asked his party cadres and the woman councilor to make sure everything was hushed up.

They picked up the student and her mother later, tortured them for four hours and then shaved their heads.

Victim's mother filed a case on July 28. Police arrested 11 people including nine accused in the case.