BartaBangla Desk ::The High Court on Monday issued a rule against the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) chairman, Mizanur Rahman, for not taking any step against a rapist even after receiving the victim’s application.
In response to a writ petition, the HC bench of Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Kazi Ezarul Haque Akond asked the NHRC to explain by October 7 why its failure to take necessary steps to provide assistance to the rape victim should not be declared illegal.
It also asked the NHRC to explain why its stance that murder, rape and acid attack at individual level are not human rights violations should not be declared illegal.
Barrister Abdul Halim appeared for the petitioner, while deputy attorney general Amatul Karim represented the state.
Last year, one Kabir of Comilla had raped a Madrasha student of Class VII of Chowddagram. Following the incident, the victim’s father had filed a case with Chowddagram Police Station on August 30 last year.
However, the Women and Children Repression Tribunal of Comilla granted conditional bail to Kabir on February 24 this year.
The tribunal asked Kabir to marry the victim within two weeks. But, the victim’s family left Comilla and went to Dhaka after Kabir had been released from jail following the tribunal order. Later, they sought the NHRC’s assistance to get the certified copy of the tribunal’s order. But, the Commission did not extend any help to the victim’s family.
On June 17, a legal notice was sent to the NHRC, asking it to explain its position regarding the matter. But the commission did not respond to the legal notice. Hence, the writ petition was filed against the commission, barrister Abdul Halim, counsel for the petitioner, told reporters.