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Fatowa an Islamic Institution or a weapon of Social torture (Part -3) ? Here is yet another story of fatowa- this time a minor girl of Tangail district was whipped 101 times. Her fault was that a man, a neighbor of her family, raped her. . Published on May 03, 2009 A Tangail Girl punished with 101 Dorrah: In my previous two reports [1 2] I have cited as examples how the Islamic Institution called Fatowa is being used against our womenfolk by our village matabbars and touts making use of imams of local mosques. Here is another story of a village girl, not far from capital city, Dhaka. The innocent girl is a daughter of a very poor man living in a village named Musudhi Purbapara within Dhanabari police station of Madhupur Upazila under Tangail district, the native district of legendary freedom fighter Bangavir Quader Siddiqui. According to reports reaching Dhaka, in the evening (around 7-30 p.m.) of last Sunday, October 30, 2005, the girl, aged 13, in question went to a nearby grocer�s shop to fetch a little amount of paraffin (locally called kerosene). The owner of the shop Rafiqul Islam, seeing no one around, forcibly took the minor girl inside room at the back of the shop and committed rape on her. The girl cried in despair for help. Hearing her cry the neighboring villagers rushed to the scene and caught red handed the culprit. They wanted to take Rafiq to Dhanbari police station. But over zealous village leaders seeing their opportunity to earn good amount from the culprit, immediately called a village salishi in the same night. In their judgment they gave fatowa that culprit Rafiq was to be fined Tk 40,000/- for his crime out of which Tk 20,000 was to be paid in cash immediately and rest Tk 20,000 within a week. But hundred-dollar question is �to whom this amount be paid�. Obviously to the leader of the village matabbar, who will distribute shares to other matabbars and touts according to their rank and file. Further, both the victim girl and the rapist were to be punished with 101 times whipping (dorrah). The punishment was immediately executed. Since then the girl lost her mental balance. This created a commotion amongst the villagers who were demanding a trail against the matabbars. The village touts in turn with their armed followers were threatening the victim family of severe consequence if they go to police station for complain or go to hospital for the treatment of the girl. The disgruntled although agitated don�t know what to do. There was none to lead them against those village touts and leaders. The villagers said that officer in charge (oc) of the local police station knew the incident. The officer visited the village but apparently did not take any steps against those fatowabazis. The poor father does not know where to look for redress in an antipathetic society devoid of humanity and human feeling. Alas this is the real picture of our village society dominated and controlled by a few touts and so-called rural leaders known as matabbars, who in turn are patronized by political parties, especially those are in power, with men, money and materials, and protected by the local administration, civil as well police. How could we frustrate these evil forces deeply taken root in our rural society ? Honestly speaking, nor do I know. ======= Prof. Ajoy K. Roy, is a reputed scientist and human rights activist from Bangladesh
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