NHRC probe finds no link between general election and Noakhali ‘gang-rape’

A National Human Rights Commission committee has found no link between the general election and the alleged gang-rape of a woman in Noakhali’s Subarnochar on the night of the Dec 30 vote.

But the committee, which was formed to investigate the alleged incident with NHRC Director Al-Mahmud Faizul Kabir as its head, the rape indeed happened.  

NHRC published the investigation report on its website on Sunday, a week after the committee visited the area and met the alleged victim and the assaulted members of her family.

Citing the dossier of the case over the attack, the NHRC committee said it was the result of a dispute between the victim’s family and the accused.

“No relation between the 11th parliamentary elections and the victim’s rape and assault was found in the investigation,” the report said.

The 40-year-old woman, who was also severely beaten, said the attack followed an argument she had with ruling party supporters at a voting centre during the day of the general election. The attackers first tied up and beat up her husband and son, she alleged.

Local Awami League leaders have denied the allegation as the name of Ruhul Amin, the publicity secretary of the ruling party’s Subarnochar Upazila unit, appeared in the investigation into the allegations.

Ruhul, a former member of the local union council, is among 11 people arrested in connection to the case. The Awami League has expelled him saying it cannot take responsibility for any “personal wrongdoing” by any of its members. 

Police said the other suspects are brick kiln labourers and work in whatever district they find job. They left the area after committing the crime during the vote, according to the law enforcers.

The victim did not mention in her statement to the NHRC committee that she was a supporter of the candidate with ‘paddy sheaf’ symbol of the BNP or the suspects belonged to the ruling party, according to the commission report.

“There is no proof that voting was the reason behind her rape and serious injuries or that the accused are Awami League workers or that she was raped and assaulted by the Awami League workers,” it said, citing the case dossier and the woman’s statement.

“From the analysis of the statements of the victim, her husband, and the doctor, case dossier, injury certificate and pathological report, it appears preliminarily that she had been raped,” it added.

It also recommended swift trial and punishment for all the people responsible for the incident.