HC stays lower court order acquitting BGB man from rape charge

The High Court stayed the verdict of a trial court for six months which acquitted the accused in the case of rape of a teenager in Nilphamari.

The court also ordered the acquitted BGB member, Akhtaruzzaman, to surrender before it in four weeks.

The High Court bench of Justice Jahangir Hossain and Justice Shahed Nuruddin came up with the order on Wednesday after receiving the teenager's appeal with the help of the National Legal Aid Committee.

Advocate Badrun Nahar appeared for the girl while Deputy Attorney General Sarwar Hossain Bappi represented the state.

Earlier on 15 June, an exceptional incident took place in the Supreme Court, when a 15-year-old girl, along with her mother, walked in the court and demanded justice.

Disclosing her name, the girl said, "Your honour, I am 15-years-old. The woman with me is my mother. A BGB member raped me but he was aquitted by a Nilphamari court. We are poor. We don't have money. We want justice from you."

The court then asked her if she had the case documents with her, which she then produced before it.

The girl did not have a lawyer or written application with her at the time.

The court then asked if there were any lawyers present from the Supreme Court Legal Aid Committee who could take up the case. Lawyer Badrun Nahar stood up and introduced herself.

The court then ordered that the matter be dealt with urgently.

It was learned that a case was filed on 20 November, 2020 over the rape a ninth grader in Nilphamari's Syedpur. A BGB member, also a neighbour, was named as the accused in the case.

Following a trial, the Nilphamari Women and Children Prevention Tribunal acquitted the accused.

Lawyer Badrun Nahar said the Supreme Court Legal Aid Committee was assisting the girl in filing an appeal and conducting all the proceedings of the appeal.