ASK condemns and expresses deep concern

Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) strongly condemns and expresses deep concern over the death of Hena at Shariatpur due to lashing.

Newspapers reported that young Hena’s distant related cousin Mahbub raped her. Family members of both Mahbub and Hena rushed to the spot hearing Hena’s shouting and Mahbub’s family members started to beat her up alleging that she has seduced Mahbub to the act. Later Hena’s family rescued her. After the news spread over the locality, a salish was held headed by the local UP member and the salish parishad decided to lash both rapist Mahbub and victim Hena. During the lashing, Hena became unconscious. She was taken to the local health complex and died while the treatment was going on.

We feel extremely disturbed at the incidentand strongly protest the holding of salish. We would like to recall that the honorable High Court has declared all forms of extra judicial activities and penalties in the name of fatwa illegal and directed the concerned authority to punish the perpetrators under criminal procedure.

We also came to know through the newspapers that the local authority has arrested some of the people engaged in the salish. It is very unfortunate that such salish was conducted by the local UP member, while the High Court has earlier directed the Government to take necessary actions so that the local union parishad takes proper measures to stop fatwa. Besides, it is not clear that how such a salish can be held and the local administration could not know about it? If the administration would have taken due care and be pro-active, life of young Hena could be saved.

We urge the Government to take adequate measures to ensure the successful implementation of the initiatives taken so far and also stress that exemplary punishment for the perpetrators is essential so that, no such occurrence takes place again.