HC orders to remove photos, videos of the child from Magura

The High Court (HC) has ordered the relevant authorities, including those at the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) and the Inspector General of Police (IGP), to take necessary steps to remove from online and media photographs and videos of the 8-year-old child from Magura who has allegedly been raped.

The HC bench of justice Farah Mahbub and justice Debashish Roy Chowdhury pronounced the order with a ruling after hearing a writ petition in this regard on Sunday.

The court said the investigation in the case, filed over the rape allegation, has to be completed within 30 working days and the trial has to be completed within 180 days of taking the allegation into cognisance.

Section 14 of the Women and Child Repression Prevention Act, 2000 stated that the detailed identity of victim women and children cannot be published in the media.

The High Court has ordered to take actions against the people involved with breaching section 14 of the act within three working days. At the same time, it asked to make people aware of the section.

The High Court has also ordered taking steps to ensure the health, security and welfare of the victim child, her 14-year-old elder sister within 24 hours.

The authorities have been asked to give responsibilities to the Dhaka and Magura district social welfare officers for this.

The respondents have been asked to submit reports at the court regarding advancements to implement the court orders on 17 March.

Supreme Court lawyers Hamidul Misbah and Syed Mahsib Hossain filed the writ petition and took part in the hearing themselves while deputy attorney general Tanim Khan represented the state.

The case statement said the child was raped on Wednesday night.

The child’s mother filed the case against the victim’s brother-in-law, her sister’s father-in-law, mother-in-law and the elder brother of the sister’s husband.

The police arrested all four accused. The authorities shifted the child to Combined Military Hospital (CMH) from DMCH on Saturday afternoon.

The victim child was admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital on Thursday evening. She was unconscious at the time. On Friday night, she was put on life support.