Teenage Sabina Khatun, daughter of a poor widow, has been picked up from bed at dead of night by some ruling party activists, gang rapped her and hanged to a branch of tree tied around the neck with her saree to death.

The brutality took place in Sidhuli village of Gurudaspur upazila in Natore on the night of Feb 28.

The post-mortem report of a 3-member medical team of Natore Sadar Hospital said Sabina (15) was physically and sexually assaulted before hanging her to death.

Four persons were arrested till Sunday afternoon in connection with the murder, but villagers said, the main accused remained out of touch.

UNB correspondent Halim Khan visited Daripara adjacent to Sidhuli Sunday and talked to a cross section of the people including the neighbours of poor Sabina Khatun.

On condition of anonymity they said Sabina’s father Mokkel Ali, a poor peasant, died long ago leaving behind wife and two daughters. Zahura Bewa, the mother, worked hard both at home and in field to survive. The elder daughter was married but abandoned by the husband sometime ago.

The tragedy of Sabina began on Feb 9. Sayem, a young terror in the village enjoying protection of the ruling party, sneaked into the hut of Sabina at 8-30 pm and forcibly rapped Sabina when her mother and sister were away. Hearing her cries neighbours rushed in and found Sayem defiling her, and the hapless poor girl nude.

Angry neighbours caught Sayem and kept tied with a pole. Soon the incident spread in the village. The associates of Sayem led by Rubel rushed to the spot. They forcibly took away the rapist from the confinement.

Shocked at victimization of the daughter, the poor mother was going to file a case against the rapist. But UP chairman and local BNP leader Abdul Aziz restrained her proposing reconciliation at a meeting of village elders. But the attempt of reconciliation was frustrated as the leaders played farce with the fate of Sabina.

Seeking justice the mother went to police for filing a case, but Gurudaspur thana declined to accept the case. Finally she filed the case with the court. The magistrate immediately directed Gurudaspur thana to register the case, investigate into the allegation and submit report.

But the police, apparently influenced and the palms greased, refrained from taking any action. Finding the police failing in their responsibility the terrors felt encouraged. Sayem and his associates raided the house of Sabina on the night of Feb 28, picked her up from the bed, took her near Sayem’s house in adjacent Sidhuli village, gang rapped and hanged her to death with the branch of a mango tree.

The murder of Sabina has created sensation in the area. Now the police became active and filed a case from her mother accusing 12 people including Sayem.