The High Court has directed the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) to immediately remove all photos of the eight-year-old rape victim from Magura, which have been circulating on social media platforms.
On Sunday, the High Court bench, led by Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Debashish Roy Chowdhury, issued the order on their own initiative after the matter was brought to their attention during a court hearing.
Barrister Mahsib Hossain, who presented the case before the court, highlighted that the child’s identity, including her name and photos, had been shared across social media platforms.
He urged the court to take necessary steps to protect the child`s privacy and ensure her safety, as well as to ensure that she receives the highest possible level of medical care for her recovery.
In response to the situation, the court promptly ordered the BTRC to take down any images of the child available online and instructed the authorities to be vigilant in safeguarding her privacy.
Meanwhile, the child`s mother filed a case at Magura Sadar Police Station on Saturday, naming four people as the accused: Md. Hitu Sheikh (42), the father-in-law of the child’s elder sister, his wife Zaheda (45), and their two sons, Sajib (18) and Md. Ratul Sheikh (20).
The case details reveal that four months ago, the victim`s elder sister married Hitu Sheikh’s son, Sajib. Since the marriage, Hitu Sheikh allegedly made inappropriate advances towards his daughter-in-law, which was known to the other accused in the family.
The mother’s statement also added, “On March 1, my younger daughter (8) went to visit her elder sister’s in-laws` house. Then, on March 6, around 10 a.m., my elder daughter called me on the phone and informed me that her younger sister had fallen ill. I immediately rushed to their house in Nijnanduya, Magura Sadar. When I arrived, I was told that my younger daughter had been sleeping in the same room with her elder sister and brother-in-law on the night of March 5. Later that night, my elder daughter woke up and found her younger sister lying on the floor. My younger daughter told her that she was experiencing pain in her genital area. As her condition worsened, she was taken to Magura Sadar Hospital. However, her condition continued to deteriorate, leading to her transfer first to Faridpur and then to Dhaka.”
The mother further explained that the delay in filing the case was due to the urgency of her daughter’s medical treatment, stating, “At Magura Sadar Hospital, my daughter was admitted to the gynecology department for initial medical tests. Since then, she has been receiving critical care at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH).”
The victim was transferred to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Dhaka on Saturday for advanced medical treatment following a deterioration in her condition.
The High Court’s order to remove all images of the child is part of ongoing efforts to protect her privacy and ensure her recovery.
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