Burnt in lust of a beast

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Posing as a saviour, an alleged member of an intelligence agency attempted to burn a girl to death about six weeks ago. He joined hands with her kidnapper and set her on fire as her family refused their marriage proposals.

With 30 percent of her body burned, Nur-e-Jannat Roni, daughter of Abdur Rouf of Monohorpur village in Rangpur, is now struggling for life at Burn Unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH).

”Nasir Uddin Shuvo [alleged member of Directorate General of Forces Intelligence] is now threatening to kill all of our family unless we withdraw the case,” Shahidul Islam Bidyut, her uncle, told The Daily Star yesterday.

Police could not arrest Shuvo and don’t now his whereabouts.

When Roni was a school student, local thugs started teasing her on her way to school.

“The harassment increased after my SSC examinations in 2004. People started coming up with marriage proposals,” Roni said, lying on the bed at DMCH.

Her parents had turned down all the proposals saying she was too young to be married off.

Refused, a group of local thugs led by Shafiqul Gani Swapan abducted her from in front of their house in Monohorpur, family members say.

Roni’s relatives rescued her in a few hours and moved to Rangpur town.

Though police arrested three including Swapan, they came out on bail within two and a half months and started putting pressure on the family for withdrawing the case against them.

“While we were confused about what we should do with these people, we met Shuvo who introduced himself as a DGFI field-level constable and came forward with assurance of help,” Bidyut said.

But in six to seven months, Shuvo himself proposed to marry Roni. “We said we won’t marry her off at this young age, which made him very angry,” said Bidyut.

Shuvo also started teasing Roni on her way to Collectorate School and College in Rangpur, and joined hands with the kidnappers about a year ago, the uncle said.

“He started threatening us over phone saying he would kill us and destroy the entire family.”

Shuvo gave a “reminder” about six months ago that we “still have time to fulfil his demand or face the consequence”, he added.

When Roni’s father Abdur Rouf, principal officer of Sonali Bank, Rangpur, contacted DGFI office in the town, he was told that Shuvo was transferred to Dhaka.

About 12:45am on June 7. HSC examinee Roni wrapped up her preparations for Business Policy 1st part scheduled to be held that day and went to bed shutting the windows as the family received a renewed threat two days ago.

“Suddenly I smelt something like oil and felt my skin getting sticky,” Roni recalled.

Sitting up, she found the bed and floor wet. “I heard some voices including that of Shuvo and Swapan. Panicked, I tried to open the door but it was locked from outside.”

As she shouted for help, Shuvo said something. “And a lighted matchstick was thrown into my room through a hole made in the window.”

Hearing her cry, her father rushed out to see flames engulfing the room inside.

Breaking into the room, Rouf saw fire has already burned her face, throat, abdomen, breasts and hands.

She was rushed to Rangpur Medical College Hospital where doctors referred her to DMCH immediately.

The father filed a case against seven including Swapan, Shuvo, Zia, Nazim, Abed Ali, Bahadur and Bakul. Police arrested Abed, Bakul and local CD shop owner Sumon the same day.

Her father mentioned Shuvo as a DGFI personnel in the case and gave police his photograph and biodata, Shahidul told The Daily Star.

The law enforcers recovered Shuvo’s cap, an empty and a half-empty bottle of petrol and a pipe used to pour petrol into the room.

Sumon said Shuvo and others stayed at his shop for about five hours till 12:30am with two bottles of petrol, Rangpur police said, adding Abed admitted to threatening the family to withdraw the case.

Sub-inspector Humayun Kabir who is investigating the case told The Daily Star they have heard that Shuvo is now working in Dhaka. “We’ve yet to contact Dhaka DGFI office,” he said.

When Rouf contacted DGFI office in Dhaka four days ago, the officials said he is missing, the victim’s family said.

Meantime, Shuvo called Roni’s aunt Alo Begum last week. “My life has been spoilt. Now I’ll destroy all of your lives if you don’t withdraw the case,” he was quoted as threatening.

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