Naked Torture: High Court orders removal of that video
The High Court has directed the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) to remove from social media the video of a woman being stripped naked and tortured in Begumganj, Noakhali.
Besides, the BTRC chairman has been asked to save the video on a pen drive or CD.
The court also directed the Noakhali Superintendent of Police to provide all kinds of security to the victim and her family until the case filed in the incident is settled.
At the same time, a three-member committee headed by the Additional Deputy Commissioner of Noakhali inquired whether the local law enforcement agencies had any negligence in the overall incident including the safety of the woman, taking statements, and taking legal action against the perpetrators High Court has given. The committee has been asked to report to the Registrar of the High Court within 15 working days. The district social service officer and the principal of Chaumuhani Government SA College have been included in the committee.
The court also directed the officer-in-charge of Begumganj police station to submit a report to the court by October 28 stating the latest status of the criminal case. The next hearing is scheduled for October 29.
After the incident was brought to the notice of the country on Monday, Justice Md. Mojibur Rahman Mia and Justice. Mohi Uddin Shamim's Virtual High Court Bench passed the order on its own initiative.
To find out why appropriate legal and departmental action would not be directed against Begumganj Police Station and other police officers for their negligence in protecting the woman from the miscreants and taking swift action against the miscreantsRule sought. The Home Secretary, Public Administration Secretary, Secretary of Posts and Telecommunications, Chairman of BRTC, Deputy Commissioner of Noakhali, Executive Officer of Begumganj Upazila, and Officer-in-Charge of Begumganj Police Station have been asked to respond to the rule within two weeks.
A video of a woman being stripped naked and tortured in a village in the Eklashpur Union of Noakhali's Begumganj has gone viral on social media. The video shows several young men stripping and beating a woman. One of them grabbed the woman's face with one foot. They did not stop torturing despite repeated pleas.
The video of the incident, which took place more than a month ago, went viral on Facebook on Sunday. Demands for exemplary punishment for torturers come from various quarters. The local police rescued the woman and took her into custody. Besides, four people have been arrested in connection with the incident.
The woman later filed a case with Begumganj police station. .Citing the case, OC Harunur Rashid said the woman was staying at her father's house in Ward 9 of Eklashpur Union due to a marital quarrel. After a long day, her husband went there to meet her on September 2.
"At around 9 pm that day, the accused broke down the door of their house and beat the woman's husband and tied him up in another room next door. Later, they tried to rape the woman by stripping her naked. .When he was prevented from doing so, the accused tortured him and started videotaping the scene on his mobile phone. When the people in the area came forward shouting at the woman, the accused threatened to kill her if she told anyone. ”
.The woman then took refuge at her sister's house in Maijdi in the district town without informing anyone. There too, the accused contacted him through his mobile phone and made a 'bad offer'. If they do not agree, they threatened to spread the video of that night on Facebook, the lawsuit said.
As the woman did not agree to their words, the accused spread the video on Facebook on Sunday afternoon and it went viral.
Lawyer Mohammad asked the court on Monday morning whether the local administration was negligent in the incident and directed the BTRC to remove the video from social media. Abdullah Al Mamun.
The court asked him to bring a written application and put him for hearing at 2.30 pm. The court passed the order after a hearing at noon.
The investigation committee formed under the leadership of Noakhali Additional Deputy Commissioner has been asked to provide all necessary assistance, said the petitioner's lawyer. Abdullah Al Mamun.
.Supreme Court Bar Association President AM Amin Uddin, Secretary Ruhul Quddus Kajal along with lawyers Z I Khan Panna, Jyotirmoy Barua, Yadia Zaman, Tanzeem Al Islam, Jamiul Haque Faisal, and Rashida Chowdhury Nilu took part in the hearing and expressed their views on the issue.
Deputy Attorney General Nowroz Russell Chowdhury represented the state.
AM Amin Uddin, president of the Bar Association, said the case should be kept under the supervision of the high court.
And lawyer Z I Khan wants instructions to preserve the emerald viral video as evidence. Ruhul Quddus Kajal, secretary of the Supreme Court Bar Association, said that they should seek the opinion of psychologists on the incidents of rape and torture.
Lawyer Jyotirmoy Barua said, “Such incidents are happening all over the country now. The recurrence of such incidents under political auspices and those involved in the incident are getting away with it. So you need to set an example through significant orders. ”
Lawyer Rashida Chowdhury Nilu said, "If the High Court keeps the trial of this case in follow-up, there will be no opportunity for the matter to flow in a different direction.