Raped and blackmailed, teenage girl takes her life

A female secondary school student has died from suicide, as two youths, after raping the girl, threatened to release the video clips of the incident on the internet. 

The victim, 14-year-old Rohima Akhter Sonia, daughter of Jaherul Islam of Kalaramjodth village in Tentulia upazila of Panchagarh, had been gang-raped by local youths -- Rajon and Atik -- nearly three months ago.

On the fateful day, Rajon, ward boy of Tentulia Upazila Health Complex, asked Sonia to get on his motorbike, saying that he would give her medicines for her ailing mother. Instead, he took her to the house of Atik, local agent of bKash, a mobile financial service provider, said victim's mother Selina Begum.

Sonia agreed to accompany Rajon since he was a friend of her maternal uncle Farukh, she said. Rajon and Atik raped the girl at the latter's house and took video footage of the rape incident. Afterwards, the duo raped her again threatening to circulate the video clips.

A student of class nine of Kazi Shahabuddin Girls' High School and College under the upazila, Sonia told everything to her mother and uncle Farukh on October 9.

They then informed Rajon's elder brother Abdullah of the matter. Abdullah asked Sonia's guardians not to disclose the matter, assuring them of financial help at the time of the girl's marriage.

In the meantime, Rajon and Atik continued to threaten to circulate the obscene video footage as Sonia informed her family of her rape.

Failing to take it anymore, the girl committed suicide inside her room around 11:00am on Tuesday upon returning from a coaching centre.

That night, the victim's family went to Tentulia Police Station to file a case bringing charges against Rajon and Atik of provoking the girl into killing herself, but the police didn't register the case.

Sonia's parents, relatives and villagers demand an investigation into the suicide and exemplary punishment of the rapists. 

Sores Chandra, officer-in-charge of Tentulia police, told The Daily Star on phone that police had filed an unnatural death case in connection with the suicide. 

“If anybody makes specific complaints, we will take steps on receiving the autopsy report,” the OC said.