The Fight for Tonu

Every time Tonu's face surfaces on your Facebook newsfeed, a torrent of mixed feelings hit you at the same time -- outrage, sorrow, helplessness and so much more. Nothing to do but scroll on and eventually run away from the atrocity that we allowed and continue to allow on the streets of Bangladesh.

Sohagi Jahan Tonu, a young teenager who was obviously a dreamer like many a young man or woman in Bangladesh; most likely in love with the motherland, someone who enjoyed cricket, had high hopes for the national team, loved art and theatre and had many friends planning outings, movie nights and what to wear this year on Pahela Baishakh. Tonu was just another girl next door, who earned pocket money giving out private tuitions to children, maybe just a handful of years younger than herself. One fine day, as she goes about life, Tonu is raped, murdered and thrown by a culvert -- like kitchen or a damaged tooth. Her unconscious body was found in the bordering area of Comilla cantonment by her father late at night, at around 11:00 pm.

Despite the fact that such rape-murder-and run cases happen almost every day to people of all ages, victimising mostly women, Tonu's case managed to hit a nerve, maybe because the media, general public, students and parents -- Bangladeshis from all walks of life -- somehow fear that this case will remain unsolved. Just like many other tragedies that have taken place amidst us, namely the Sagar-Runi case, Tonu's case will drag on as well, till protestors find other reasons to block roads and headlines on papers shift from Tonu to yet another case of rape, murder or maybe a bank scam.

But of course, we have to be optimistic. The army authorities have said that they will provide full support to the police in investigating Tonu's murder. That does put the heart to rest, because the army will definitely investigate with precision, and support the law in sentencing them to death. After all, it's a wonder how the army manages to find out so much information thanks to their high level intelligence platforms and rigorous training. Ever tried to lie your way into cantonement? Most of the times, these liars are caught at the other side of the area and eventually the vehicles are turned around and made to take the longer route.

We hope that the fight for Tonu will not die down. Young protestors all over the country have taken up the spot, chanting the right words demanding justice, not only for Tonu, but all the other young women she represents in the country; for all the wrong doings that slowly evaporate. 

Photos: Star File