Bangladesh: Rape, Murder Of O-Level Student: Doctor confirms rape, finds injury marks

The female O-level student, pronounced dead on arrival at a private hospital in the capital on Thursday, was raped and she died due to hemorrhagic shock and excessive bleeding, a forensic expert at Dhaka Medical College said yesterday.

“We found injury marks both in her genital and rectum,” Dr Sohel Mahmud, head of the forensic department at the DMC, told reporters after conducting the autopsy.

He said there were no wounds in other parts of the body.

Talking to The Daily Star last night, Dr Sohel said, “Of course, it’s a rape… more than a rape, I would say. We have found evidence …”

On Thursday night, the girl’s father, a businessman, filed a case with Kalabagan Police Station against Fardin Iftekhar Dihan — an 18-year-old who has recently passed his A-level examinations — over the rape and murder of his daughter .

A Dhaka court recorded Dihan’s confessional statement yesterday and sent him to jail, said police.

Three of his friends, who were detained for questioning, have been released. They, however, will be kept under police watch, said police sources.

In the case statement, the girl’s father said Dihan tricked his daughter, a student of an English-medium school in Dhanmondi, into going to his flat in Kalabagan’s Dolphin Golly on Thursday and raped her when Dihan’s family members were away.

The girl bled profusely and fainted. Dihan then took her to hospital to deflect blame, said the statement.

Police earlier said Dihan had taken the victim to Anwar Khan Modern Hospital in Dhanmondi area on Thursday afternoon. Doctors at the private hospital said she was brought dead.

CONFUSION OVER VICTIM’S AGE

Kalabagan police had requested the DMC forensic department to find out the age of the victim through medical tests.

In the case statement, the age is mentioned as 17. According to her passport, the victim was born on October 9, 2003.

But police in their inquest report said she was 19.

To determine the age, forensic experts suggested conducting medical tests on the body. As the department concerned at the hospital was closed yesterday, the body was handed over to the family without the tests.

“There are some issues regarding the age. We can’t tell you the age now. Although we could not carry out the tests yesterday, we can still find out the age using samples from her body, including her teeth, and relevant documents,” said Dr Sohel.

Kalabagan Sub-inspector Jakir Hossain, who prepared the police inquest report, said they mentioned the age as 19 based on the death certificate issued by the authorities of Anwar Khan Modern Hospital.

The death certificate, however, says the age is 17.

Asked, the SI said, “That’s why we’ve requested the forensic department to determine the age.”

Meanwhile, the victim’s family alleged that police were trying to show her as an adult person to “lessen the merit of the case”. They accused police of trying to save the accused as “he is from an influential family.”

“The accused is a son of a former district registrar. His relatives are quite influential people. The accused is two years older than my daughter,” said the victim’s mother.

Dr Sohel said the actual age would be determined by the court.

Asked, the forensic expert said they would conduct DNA profiling to determine whether one or multiple persons were involved in the incident. Doctors would also see if any sedative was used, he said.

He said the cause of the death would be known after getting the post-mortem report.

In the death certificate, the cause of the death is mentioned as hemorrhagic shock due to post-coital vaginal tear.

In the inquest report, police said the victim died due to excessive bleeding and it could be a case of rape. The report said her weight was 45kg.

‘IT’S MURDER’

Eldest among three siblings, the victim wanted to become a doctor. Talking to The Daily Star yesterday, her mother said she was a meritorious student and used to attend online classes of six coaching centres.

She was about to sit for her O-level final exams in four months.

The mother said their world turned upside down after she received a phone call at 1:18pm on Thursday. Dihan called her and informed her that her daughter had suddenly fell sick and that he was taking her to hospital.

“I want justice from the prime minister. My daughter just can’t die like this. She has been killed,” the mother said.

Meanwhile, police yesterday urged everyone not to “exaggerate” the issue on social media, saying that they were working to crack the case.

Sajjadur Rahman, deputy commissioner (Ramna zone) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, made the call while talking to reporters at the Crime Reporters Association of Bangladesh (CRAB) in the capital’s Segunbagicha.  Daily Star

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