Bangladesh News

A 16-year-old girl, raped and burned by a man whom she used to regard as her grandfather, died last night in the capital following her two-month-long struggle with the injuries.

Critically injured Rozina, from Mohimaganj of Gaibandha, was transferred from Gaibandha Sadar Hospital and admitted to Burn and Plastic Surgery Unit at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) on January 27 with 30 percent of her lower body severely burned.

She was transferred to the DMCH as her condition deteriorated despite receiving treatment at the Gaibandha Sadar Hospital for over one month.

Her assailant, Majid Talukdar, aged around 45 or 50, set fire to Rozina after raping her as she threatened to publicly expose his sexual assault on her, said Rozina’s mother adding that Majid has been on the run ever since and a case was filed against him with Gaibandha Court.

“Oh God! Who would’ve known that the man who used to call me his goddaughter could do such a horrible thing to my daughter?” the sobbing mother said sitting at the hallway of DMCH.

“Majid Talukder took me as his goddaughter and helped me a lot when I was engaged in a court battle against my neighbour. He started to come to my house frequently and a good relation grew amongst us,” Rozina’s mother continued, “But after the Eid-ul-Azha in December, he asked me to let my daughter stay at his house as a guest and I allowed that since she used to call him nana [grandfather].”

After Majid raped Rozina and left her burning in fire in his house, his neighbours rescued the young girl and sent her to the Gaibandha Sadar Hospital.

Hundreds of women, adolescents and children fall victim to rape, murder after rape, throwing of acid, burning, abduction and trafficking every year.

According to a report of Bangladesh Mahila Parishad, some 458 women, adolescents were raped last year while 201 were gang raped. A total of 126 were killed after rape, 48 were burned and acid was thrown on 125.

Advocate Alina Khan, executive director of Bangladesh Society for the Enforcement of Human Rights, told The Daily Star that these types of violence on women is on the rise with increased feeling of insecurity and unrest in the society.

“More cases of adolescents violated by their uncles or distant relatives are being brought to us lately,” she said. The offenders take advantage of the adolescents as they are more vulnerable, she observed saying that the families of the victims often try to conceal the incidents fearing social consequences.

Prof Mahmuda Islam of Department of Sociology at Dhaka University said isolation has increased while kinship and social bonding have deteriorated in the society — paving the way for some perverts who take advantage of and exploit vulnerable girls.