Assaulting girl for attire at Narsingdi rail station: SC upholds bail for Shila

The Appellate Division of Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the bail granted to a 60-year-old woman by the High Court who faces charges of assaulting a young girl for wearing jeans and a crop-top at Narsingdi railway station.

A bench of five justices led by Chief Justice Hasan Foez Siddique passed the order during a hearing on a petition filed by the state side, seeking stay of the bail granted to accused Marzia Aktar alias Shila.

Lawyer Jahirul Islam Mukul and Mohammad Ahsan represented the defendant's side during the hearing while Assistant Attorney General Mohammad Saiful Alam represented the state.

With the decision there is no more barrier to free Shila on bail, said Lawyer Jahirul Islam Mukul.

On 16 August, the High Court granted bail to Shila.

On 18 May, Shila, a matchmaker from Narsingdi, made distasteful comments at a young girl and two boys who were waiting for a train at the Narsingdi Railway Station with other passengers during early hours.

The girl was wearing a crop-top and jeans and the boys were also wearing jeans and t-shirts.

At one point the woman locked in an altercation with them and some local people started beating the two young men and harassed the girl, said the station master.

The girl had to take shelter in the station master's office room to save herself.

The matter sparked debates and outcry among netizens after video footage of the incident went viral on social media and several news media reported it.

Rapid Action Battalion arrested Shila on 30 May after police lodged a case in this regard under Prevention of Women and Child Repression Act at Bhairab railway police station.