“I am lost for words to condemn this,” Hasina said at a meeting of the ruling Awami League’s advisory council at the Ganabhaban in Dhaka on Friday.
“I wanted to save her life…but it didn’t happen. She has left us,” the prime minister said, noting that she had asked that Nusrat be taken to Singapore for treatment which was not possible because of her deteriorating health.
Siraj, who was already in jail, is accused of orchestrating the killing after she had refused to drop sexual abuse charges against him.
“Some of the culprits have been caught. The others will also be arrested. They won’t be spared. We won’t let them off the hook,” Hasina said.
“I think they must face exemplary punishment so that such incidents do not happen again,” she added.
“Nusrat was murdered in a planned manner and the mastermind is principal Siraj-ud-Daula. His associates are involved with the incident,” Faizul said during a visit to Sonagazi on Friday.
“The arson attack on Nusrat could have been averted had the madrasa authorities and local administration taken quick steps over Nusrat’s sexual harassment by Siraj,” he added.
Gourab Ekattor, a group of volunteers, organised a march on the Dhaka University campus against rape and sexual abuse.
Purnima Foundation and Chetona Parishad joined the march demanding capital punishment for rapists.
Sammilita Sangskritik Jote President Golam Kuddus said at a rally afterwards: “Punishment for such offences is not possible under the current laws. That’s why we demand a special tribunal.”
“A deadline to complete the trial should also be set. It can be 30 days or 60 days or 90 days. But the punishment of the perpetrators must be ensured by completing the trial within this period,” he added.
He also demanded that investigations into and trial of rape and sexual abuse be handled by only women to stop harassment of victims.
A 180-day or six-month deadline has been set by the law for completing the trial, but the time limit is not followed in most cases.
Trial and punishment for rape and sexual abuse do not often happen in Bangladesh as the victims rarely speak out in fear of social dishonour.
Negligence in investigations and medical tests of victims, and intervention by influential people are also blamed for hindering the course of justice in many cases.
Trial in around 3,500 out of over 17,000 cases under the Prevention of Repression of Women and Children Act initiated between January, 2014 and December, 2017 has been completed so far, according to the government.
Among the 673 convicts in these cases, 17 were sentenced to death and 80 to life in prison.