Teenager's suicide after gangrape evoke protests but police unmoved

Halima Khatun, 14, daughter of Nannu Mollah, committed suicide on June 13 after being gangraped allegedly by four local youths earlier on the day.

Before taking poison, she told her parents that she was violated by Khairul, Alamgir, Monjur and Al-Amin of the same village, her parents told journalists during a visit on Tuesday.

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Halima's uncle Farook Molla filed a case with Mohammadpur police station.

Her tragic end has drawn many local political leaders, police officials and NGO activists to the remote village.

Magura Police Superintendent Biswas Afzal Hossain, upazila Nirbahi office (UNO) Hazera Khatun and other officials visited Halima's family on Tuesday and talked to the victim's parents and neighbours. The SP promised that the culprits would be arrested and punished.

During the officials' visit, the villagers brought out a procession demanding immediate arrest and punishment of the culprits.

Talking to journalists, some of villagers complained of inaction by local police in arresting the culprits.

"The culprits should be punished so that no girl faces the fate as of my daughter", Halima's mother Khadiza Begum said.

However the officer-in-charge (OC) of Mohammadpur thana, Nazrul Islam, said a police team comprising one sub-inspector, one assistant sub-inspector and seven constables has been formed to nab the culprits.