Purnima Shil, the 2001 post-election gang-rape victim, buys AL nomination form

Purnima Rani Shil, a 2001 post-election gang-rape victim, has bought the Awami League’s nomination form with the hope of becoming an MP from the seats reserved for women.

Besides a number of celebrities who campaigned for the Awami League before the Dec 30 elections, Purnima bought the form from the party chief’s Dhanmondi offices on Tuesday.

A wave of violence after the elections on Oct 1, 2001 hit many supporters of the then opposition Awami League and members of minority Hindu community, who suffered various forms of atrocities.

Purnima was one of those victims. Eleven people were sentenced to life imprisonment and fined Tk 100,000 each on May 4, 2011, in the Purnima gang-rape case verdict.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina provided her with financial support to continue her education, and after completing education, Purnima became a music tutor in Dhaka.

She addresses Hasina as 'Mamoni' or mother. The then state minister for information Tarana Halim appointed Purnima her personal officer last year.

The celebrities who along with Purnima bought the Awami League’s nomination form on Tuesday included Suborna Mustafa, Shomi Kaiser, Apu Biswas, Jyotika Jyoti and Shahnoor.

Besides former MP and actress Sarah Begum Kabori, film star Sujata also collected the ruling party’s nomination form.

Tureen Afroz, a war crimes tribunal prosecutor, also wants to become an MP on the Awami League’s ticket.

The leaders of the party and its affiliates who bought the form included Fazilatunnesa Indira, Faridunnahar Laily, Hasina Daula, Safia Khatun, Mahmuda Begum Creek, Rosina Nasrin, Nazma Akter and former MPs Fazilatun Nasa Bappy and Noorjahan Begum Mukta.

Rabeya Aziz, the wife of recently late president of Dhaka Metropolitan Awami League Abdul Aziz, and Nilufer Anjum Poppy, the widow of Prime Minister’s Special Assistant Mahbubul Hoque Shakil, also bought the form.

Awami League leaders said they sold over 600 forms on the first day. The forms cost Tk 30,000 each.

The ruling party has been allocated 43 seats reserved for women in proportion to the 257 constituencies it won in the elections.

The schedule for the election to the reserved seats will be announced on Feb 17, the Election Commission has said.