The High Court on Monday ordered the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) to remove all the links of the recorded video clip of torturing a woman in Noakhali that sparked outrage across the country.
The court, however, asked the BTRC chairman to preserve a copy of the video clip and supply it to the court through attorney general’s office.
Besides, the High Court formed a three-member inquiry committee to probe as to whether any negligence was found on the part of the law enforcing agencies to take immediate action against the perpetrators who were involved in raping and torturing the woman.
Committee comprising additional deputy commissioner (general) and district social welfare officer of Noakhali and principal of Chowmuhani Government SA College has been directed to submit a report in the court within 15 working days in this regard after taking deposition from the victim.
The court also issued a rule upon the respondents to explain in two weeks as to why they should not be directed to take appropriate legal actions against the officer-in-charge (OC) and other responsible officers of Begumganj Police Station in Noakhali as they have been found to have neglected to take immediate action against the perpetrators who were involved in raping and torturing the woman.
Home secretary, public administration secretary, post and telecommunication secretary, BTRC chairman, deputy commissioner of Noakhali, UNO of Begumganj upazila and OC of Begumganj Police Station have been asked to comply with the rule.
The High Court bench of Justice Md Mozibur Rahman Miah and Justice Mohi Uddin Shamim passed the order as a suo moto move after a Supreme Court lawyer, Abdullah Al Mamun, brought some news reports regarding the issue to the attention of the court.
OC of Begumganj Police Station has been directed to inform the court about the latest situation of the case on October 28 this year.
Noakhali superintendent of police (SP) has been directed to ensure all kinds of security to the victim and her family till disposing of the case filed in this regard.
According to the statement, the perpetrators entered the house of the victim and beat up her husband on the night of the incident. They took him to the adjacent room and tied him up.
Later, they tortured the victim and assaulted her while filming the incident on a mobile phone set. At one point, locals gathered around the house hearing the victim's cry for help.
The accused then threatened to kill her if she speaks about the incident, and left. The victim, fearing for her life, fled her house and has been living elsewhere since then.
The perpetrators, however, contacted her over phone and threatened to release the recorded video of the incident on social media if she did not go back to her house and agree to their demands.
“As I did not agree to their immoral proposals, they released the video on social media on October 04,” the plaintiff said in her statement.
As the video was circulated widely, police located her and questioned her about the incident, following which she filed the case against her perpetrators, the statement reads.
Law enforcers have arrested four people, including the main accused, over the incident. The arrestees are-- main accused Badal, "Delwar Bahini" chief Delwar, Rahmat Ullah and Abdur Rahim.
