Governing body member marries student; HC labels it morally unethical

The High Court returned the anticipatory bail application of Khandaker Mushtaq Ahmed, a member of the Governing Body of the Ideal School and College of Motijheel in the capital, in the case of the rape of a female student. The High Court bench consisting of Justice Abu Taher Md. Saifur Rahman and Justice Khondkar Diliruzzaman returned the application on Wednesday.

Earlier, when the matter came up for hearing, the court said to Khandaker Mushtaq Ahmed, a member of the governing body, "Morally, what you have done is not right." 

The student‍‍`s father filed a complaint against Khandaker Mushtaq Ahmed, a donor member of the educational institution, in Dhaka‍‍`s Women and Child Suppression Tribunal-8 for allegedly trapping and raping a student of Ideal School and College. In the case, allegations of aiding and abetting the rape were brought against the principal of the educational institution, Fawzia Rashedi. The court accepted the statement of the plaintiff (student‍‍`s father) and ordered the case to be recorded as a statement at Gulshan police station. Accordingly, the police registered the case.

Khandaker Mushtaq Ahmed applied for anticipatory bail in this case through a lawyer in the High Court. He appeared in court on the hearing of the bail application. Lawyer Sohrab Hossain was the defendant in the hearing on behalf of Mushtaq. Deputy Attorney General Emran Ahmad Bhuiyan appeared as the prosecutor. 

According to the information of the prosecutor, when the matter came up around 11 o‍‍`clock in order, the court said to Mushtaq, "Were you married before?" Then Mushtaq said that he had divorced his previous wife. Mushtaq‍‍`s lawyer said, they (student and Mushtaq) are married. The student is an adult. At one stage, the court said to Mushtaq, "Morally, what you have done is not right." Mushtaq‍‍`s lawyer said that another double bench of the High Court granted bail to the other accused in the case. At that time, when the prosecutor opposed the bail, the court said at one stage of the hearing, "We are not interested in hearing this application." Later, when Mushtaq‍‍`s lawyer requested to return the application, the court returned it.