Abdul Hannan Molla, father of child Ramisa Akter who was brutally raped and murdered in Dhaka’s Pallabi, has demanded the maximum punishment for the perpetrators.
He said, “The distance between one flat’s door and another is only three feet. If we cannot ensure a child’s safety within these three feet, then blaming only the government is not enough.”
He was speaking with tearful eyes at a roundtable on “Rising Child Abuse in Bangladesh and the Way Forward,” organised by the Legal and Health Support Cell for Abused Women and Children in Dhaka on Saturday.
“Families, neighbours, and society must build mutual responsibility. Otherwise, thousands more Ramisas may fall victim to such brutality.”
He further said, “If a child becomes a victim of such cruelty, the responsibility lies not only with the family but also with society and the state. I demand proper justice for my Ramisa’s murder. I expect the maximum punishment under Bangladesh law, and I want to see that punishment carried out swiftly.”
Folding his hands, he appealed to everyone, saying, “I do not want to remain known as the father of a rape victim. I wanted to remain a proud father. Please return that name to me. Please return that dignity to me.”
He added, “If you cannot, then what can you give? At least give us a social system where no parent’s heart will ever be emptied again, where no parent will be condemned to a lifetime of tears, living as the walking dead.”
The victim’s father said that 13 days after the incident, his wife is still suffering from trauma. “My wife does not know where she goes or what she says. She needs constant care. Whether she will recover, only Allah knows.”
The brutal murder on 19 May sparked widespread public outrage. The victim’s dismembered body was recovered from the third-floor flat of prime accused Sohel Rana and his wife Swapna Akter.
Judge Masrur Salekin of the Dhaka Metropolitan Child Repression Prevention Tribunal on 4 June wrapped up closing arguments and set Sunday (7 June) to deliver the verdict in the case.
