Murder of Nusrat Jahan Rafi

Murder of Nusrat Jahan Rafi refers to the murder of a 19–year-old Bangladeshi female student who was murdered after reporting her sexual assault by her Madrasa principal to authorities.[1][2] She was from Feni, Bangladesh.[1] She suffered burns covering over 80% of her body. She died 4 days after her assault on 10 April 2019 at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital's burn unit. She recorded a statement identifying some of her attackers while in transit to the hospital.[1]

History

The principal of Nusrat Rafi's Madrasa, Siraj Ud Doula had given the order to murder her.[3] She had filled a sexual harassment complaint against him. She had been lured to the Madarasa where there was an attempt to convince her to withdraw the complaint. The assailants poured kerosene on her when she refused to withdraw the complaint.[4][5]

Rafi's murder was investigated by the Police Bureau of Investigation.[5] She made accusations against her murderers on her deathbed which was recorded by the Sonagazi Police Station Officer in Charge Moazzem Hossain. The video was leaked by that police officer to a journalist who spread the video and it went viral. Moazzem was sentenced to eight years imprisonment for his role in the leak of the video.[6]

Aftermath

After her murder, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced that the responsible individuals would be prosecuted.[7]

On 29 May 2019, the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) stated sixteen individuals, including two politicians, were charged with murdering her. They are: madrassah principal SM Sirajuddowla, Awami League leader Ruhul Amin, Shahadat Hossain Shamim, Nur Uddin, Imran Hossain Mamun, Hafez Abdul Quader, Iftekhar Uddin Rana, Councillor Maksud Alam alias Moksud, Kamrunnahar Moni, Saifur Rahman Mohammad Zobair, Javed, Umme Sultana Popy, Mohiuddin Shakil, Mohammad Shamim, Abdur Rahim Sharif and Absar Uddin[8]

After a fast-tracked trial at the women and children repression prevention tribunal in Feni, on 24 October 2019 all sixteen, including former members of the school's administration (teachers and pupils) found guilty were sentenced to death.[9][10] As of 2022, the murderers were still awaiting execution.[8]

See also

References
  1. Sabbir, Mir (2019-04-18). "Burned to death for reporting sexual harassment". BBC News. Retrieved 2019-04-19.
  2. "Nusrat Rafi burned to death for reporting sexual abuse: Police". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2019-04-20.
  3. "Nusrat murder: 4 death row convicts file pleas for acquittal". The Daily Star. 2019-12-02. Retrieved 2021-04-10.
  4. "Nusrat Jahan Rafi: 16 charged in Bangladesh for burning teen to death". SBS News. Retrieved 2021-04-10.
  5. "A well-planned, grisly murder". The Daily Star. 2019-05-29. Retrieved 2021-04-10.
  6. "Nusrat Murder: No offence in digging out info and publishing". The Daily Star. 2021-02-04. Retrieved 2021-04-10.
  7. "A teen filed sexual harassment charges against her principal in Bangladesh. She was burned to death less than two weeks later". CBS News. Retrieved 2019-04-19.
  8. "Nusrat's family demand execution of sentences". New Age. 2022-04-10. Retrieved 2023-09-19.
  9. Beaumont, Peter (2019-10-24). "Nusrat Jahan Rafi: 16 sentenced to death over Bangladesh murder". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2019-10-24.
  10. "Death penalty for 16 who set student on fire". BBC News. 2019-10-24. Retrieved 2019-10-24.
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