Outraged Bangladeshi family demands justice for ‘whipped to death’ raped daughter

DHAKA - The plight of a 14-year-old Bangladeshi girl, who was whipped to death by a village body for allegedly having an illicit relationship with her married cousin, has outraged her family who are now demanding strict action against the executers of the barbaric act.

Hena Akhter was whipped after the shalish, a village body consisting of local elders, had ordered that she should receive 101 lashes last week for allegedly having an illicit relationship with her cousin and neighbour, Mahbub, The Guardian reports.

The case took shape when Hena had gone out to use the bathroom when she accidentally met Mahbub, who put something on her mouth to stop her from crying out before raping her in Shariyatpur on January 31.

The assault had left her almost unconscious, unable to walk or talk. When her family complained to the shalish, they raised doubts on her character.

After Mahbub’s wife, Shilpi, complained that he had been secretly meeting Hena, village elders found both cousins guilty and ordered that Hena be given 101 lashes, and Mahbub 201.

After the punishment was carried out, Hena was taken to hospital, and six days later, she was pronounced dead.

Her shocked uneducated father Darbesh, who is lamenting over what has happened, now only wants justice for his departed daughter.

“I hardly wish I was alive. I didn’t think my daughter would die before me. I can’t think; my life is ruined. I told the police everything they want to know. I want a proper investigation, and I want justice. What happened in Mahbub’s home - what sort of justice is this?” Darbesh said.

“My daughter was just a young girl, and these people said she had to be whipped, and there was nobody stopping them. I’m not educated. I don’t know what the court laws are. But I know that if I don’t listen to the elders, we would be outcast. None of my daughters could marry, no one would even look at us. If I had known that it would be them who would be punished, not me, then I would have tried to stop it,” he added.

Hena was buried in her family graveyard on Wednesday. (ANI)