Humiliated, she took her life

A teenage girl committed suicide in Satkhira's Kolaroa upazila yesterday, a day after she was allegedly beaten up and humiliated at a village arbitration for “having an objectionable relationship”.

The victim, Afroza Khatun, 16, was found hanging from the ceiling of her house in Sonabaria union in the afternoon.

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Her brother, Ibrahim Khalil, filed a case with Kolaroa Police Station against seven people, including the Sonabaria UP chairman.

Police arrested four people, including Chairman SM Monirul Islam, also the general secretary of Sonabaria union unit Awami League, in connection with provking the girl to commit suicide.

The other arrestees are Ismail Hossain, a village guard, Joydev Kumar Das, and Hasan Ali, owner of the shop where the girl had gone to have her mobile phone account recharged.

Talking to the correspondent, Ariful Islam, the victim's brother-in-law, said Afroza went to a shop at Sonabaria Bazar on Friday afternoon to recharge her phone account.

Locals held her along with one Palash and accused them of having an “objectionable relationship”. They tied the two with ropes and took them to the chairman's office, he alleged.

In the name of arbitration, Chairman Monirul rebuked them and beat them up. Later, he let them go, Ariful claimed.

After returning home, embarrassed and tormented Afroza committed suicide by hanging herself around Saturday noon, he added.

Emdadul Haque Sheikh, officer-in-charge of Kolaroa Police Station, said the arrestees were sent to court.

Chairman Monirul, however, refuted the allegation of beating up the girl. He claimed that guard Ismail and others brought the two before him. He told them off and let them go.

Ismail claimed that after he informed Monirul about the duo, the chairman asked him to take them to his place. Monirul then beat the boy up and rebuked the girl and asked them to go home.

At least eight women became victims of so-called village arbitrations in the first nine months this year. The number was 12 last year, according to Ain o Salish Kendra.

The documents of the rights body show the arbitrations were mainly conducted by local influentials, including the ruling party men and elected representatives.