We are disturbed by the news of the gang rape of two teenagers by a group of 10-12 men in Cumilla's Nangalkot upazila. Locals allege that one of the perpetrators was a leader of Jubo Dal, the youth wing of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). However, BNP denied any link to the person. According to a report by this daily, the crime occurred on January 9, with a case being filed on January 12. So far, only one person has been arrested.

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The violence of silencing a rape survivor

Reportedly, the perpetrators held the girls captive in a sawmill for over four hours, subjected them to horrific physical abuse, and filmed it to blackmail them into silence. Clearly, these individuals felt they could get away with it, not only committing a gruesome crime but also keeping evidence of it. This sense of security, one can imagine, was partly nurtured by societal tendencies to shame rape survivors rather than perpetrators, coupled with the failure of law enforcement to take decisive action and the country's extremely low conviction rates for sexual assault. Although the complainants in this case named several suspects, police initially said they could not arrest anyone because of the three-day delay in filing the case, which supposedly allowed the accused to flee. However, reporters from at least two dailies managed to contact the sawmill owner, one of the accused, by phone.

Now that the Awami League regime has fallen from power, we expect all political parties to learn from past mistakes. They must disassociate from criminals and criminally minded individuals if they belong to their party, and take punitive action to demonstrate their commitment to law and order and to uphold ethical standards within their ranks.

During the previous regime, we often saw how political connections shielded rapists from accountability. Now that the Awami League regime has fallen from power, we expect all political parties to learn from past mistakes. They must disassociate from criminals and criminally minded individuals if they belong to their party, and take punitive action to demonstrate their commitment to law and order and to uphold ethical standards within their ranks. This is not only vital for their credibility ahead of the upcoming elections, but also for the integrity of their organisations.

As for the police force, they have an opportunity to restore their tarnished reputation by efficiently performing their duties. If rapists can use technology to blackmail victims and their families, law enforcement agencies should be equally adept at using technology to track down criminals and ensure fair trials leading to convictions, which can deter potential criminals in the future.