Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has demanded a judicial probe into the negligence and involvement of police in the murder of madrasa student Nusrat Jahan Rafi.
The organisation made the demand through a media statement on Thursday (Apr 18).
The statement read that violence towards women was increasing at an alarming pace and there is no other option than to take strict legal measures against the perpetrators.
“It’s not enough to arrest the perpetrators fast,” TIB Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman said in the statement.
He added that the case should undergo fair probe and the guilty be given exemplary punishment.
The organisation has expressed deep reservation about the allegations that have surfaced regarding the negligence and involvement of police in Nusrat’s murder.
The TIB director in the statement said that not only did the now withdrawn Shonagazi OC not take her complaint of sexual assault seriously, he also questioned the truth behind it.
“The media reported that the police official tried to rule out the incident as a suicide attempt even after she was tied up and set on fire. Allegations of trying to give the different direction have also come up against him,” the statement read.
The graft watchdog demanded fair probe into those allegations and bring the entire police administration under accountability.
“We demand a judicial probe into the matter because if the police do not carry out their responsibility properly, impunity will become an institutional phenomenon,” Iftekharuzzaman said.
He said that a police inquiry was not enough, and neither was just withdrawing the OC from post because the police hasn’t really been able to establish itself as a reliable entity infront of the people.
“The superintendant of police has taken the side of the accused police official through a written statement in the middle of the probe,” he said and added that they have reservations about how effective a police probe would be.