Rape, Murder Of Pabna Schoolgirl

Protests mount as culprits escape police net

13 January 2009, 18:00 PM

Our Correspondent, Pabna

Primary school teachers, joined by students and leaders of local socio-cultural organisations yesterday brought out a procession at Sujanagar upazila headquarters demanding punishment of culprits who raped and killed schoolgirl Ridi.Photo: STAR

A large number of children from primary schools in Sujanagar upazila, joined by their teachers, held a rally at the upazila headquarters yesterday demanding arrest and punishment of the culprits who gang-raped and killed schoolgirl Ridi, a class four student. The demonstrators also submitted a memorandum to the local administration. Meanwhile the two persons--Eunus and Rawshanara--arrested in connection with the incident were remanded for two days by a court. Besides the programme at the upazila headquarters, rallies were also held in different areas of the upazila, which were attended by children from 137 primary schools, they said. Another rally was held on Sujanagar Nizam Uddin Ajgor Ali College premise demanding punishment of the culprits. Leading women organiser and human hights activist Momota Chakladar, Abdul Motin Khan, human rights activist Khalilur Rahman, local primary teachers' association president Md. Anwar Hossain and Ain-o-Shalish Kendra official Abu Ahmed Fayzul Kabir spoke, among others, at the rally. The miscreants raped and strangled nine year-old Rubaiat Binte Ridi, a class four student of Kakiani Primary School, Gabgasi village on January 8. A case was filed with Sujanagar police station. Md. Azizul Haque, officer-in-charge of Sujanagar police station said over telephone that they were trying to nab the main culprits. Different socio-cultural organisations have protested the incident. They include local units of Manobadhikar Bastobayan Shangshtha, Mohila Parishad, Manobadhiker Natto Parishad', Pabna Protisruti, an NGO.