Stalkers ruined her life finally
Shahida Akhter dreamt of a happy life with her husband but two stalkers, whose proposal for marriage was turned down by her parents ruined her dream. With serious brain injury inflicted by the two stalkers and their accomplices, she is now passing a miserable life in a bed of Neurosurgery unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH). Shahida, a first-year degree student at Shafiuddin BM Degree College at Kathalia in Jhalakathi, was attacked on early hours of January 28 while she was sleeping with her mother at their house. The stalkers -- Mamun Sarder and Billal -- along with 5 to 6 accomplices entered their house and stabbed on her head with machete. Attending DMCH doctors said Shahida suffered severe brain injury, which resulted in weakening her right hand and stammering. Her speech is sometimes difficult to comprehend. The doctors said it would be difficult to restore normalcy of her right hand and ability to speak clearly. It will take long time and the possibility of full recovery is slim. Shahida with broken speech said Billal of nearby Bhandaria upazila used to stalk her while she was a first year HSC student on her way to college and back home. She used to travel by a tempo. Billal once grabbed her bag and brought her down while she was boarding a tempo before many people. On the following day, arbitration was held and her uncle slapped Billal and warned him to behave in future. Later Billal served about a two-year spell in prison in two separate cases, which prevented him from taking revenge of which he was threatened. While he was in jail, another youth Mamun Sarder, also of Bhandaria upazila, started stalking Shahida in 2009. About eight months back Mamun sent a marriage proposal to Shahida's father over phone. Her father said he would not arrange her marriage until she completes her degree courses. Mamun continued to threaten Shahida and her father. Shahida said she developed an affair with a local youth named Reaz and secretly got married with him about three months back. The matter came to light about 20 days ago. The day before Shahida was attacked, Mamun and Billal along with some of their accomplices came to her house. They threatened Shahida's husband Reaz. While leaving the spot they also threatened Shahida saying that she will not be able to enjoy her conjugal life for long. Shahida said one of his neighbours Selim hid in a rice barn inside their house and might have helped Mamun and Bilal to enter the house. Shahida's mother Anwara Begum said the two stalkers along with their accomplices entered the house. Billal and Mamun dragged her out of sleep. Mamun brandished a pistol on her head and Billal held a machete against her throat. She knew both of them as they had been stalking her daughter. They warned him of dire consequences if she raised any alarm. When they tried to grab Shahida by the hand her mother raised a cry. Billal then hit Shahida on the head with a machete and they fled the scene. Shahida was first taken to Barisal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital from where doctors referred her to DMCH, as she had a serious brain injury. She was admitted to DMCH on January 29. She was operated upon at DMCH on January 29. When she regained consciousness, she started feeling weakness in the right hand and developed stammering. Shahida's father Siddiqur Rahman who drives a CNG-run auto-rickshaw said his daughter married secretly and when he came to know the matter he discussed it with the family of his son-in-law. He said both families agreed to arrange a post-marriage reception by the end of February. Siddiqur said he dreamt that his daughter would pass degree but now their dreams have vanished in the thin air. Contacted over phone, Abdul Malek Khan, chairman of Tetri Rampur union where Shahida's family live, said Mamun and Billal of Bhandaria are armed miscreants. Khan said he had informed about their crimes to the police super of Jhalakathi district and officer-in-charge (OC) of Kathalia police station. The OC said the victim's family has yet not lodged any complaint with the police station. He also said Billal and Mamun are absconding since the incident and Bhandaria police are trying to nab the two.
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