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The High Court (HC) on Sunday ordered the police to complete its investigation into the case filed for the rape of an eight-year-old child in Magura in 30 days.
It also ordered the Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal in Magura to finish the trial of the case within 180 days after taking the charge sheet into cognizance.
The HC bench of Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Debasish Roy Chowdhury passed the order after hearing a writ petition.
It also directed the government to take all necessary steps to remove the pictures and videos of the victim from all kind of mass media within 24 hours. The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Comission and others have been asked to comply with it.
The HC ordered the government bodies to take action against those who violate Section 14 of the Act concerned within three working days.
Supreme Court lawyers, Hamidul Misbah and Sayed Mahsib Hossain filed the writ petition, seeking necessary orders for the victim.
Both the filing lawyers appeared in the court hearing in support of their petition. On the other hand Deputy Attorney General Tanim Khan represented the state during the hearing.
The girl's mother filed the case accusing her sister's father-in-law Hitu Sheikh, 42, husband Sajib Sheikh, 18, mother-in-law Jaheda Khatun, 45, and brother-in-law Ratul Sheikh, 20. Police has already arrested all the four accused in the case after the child was raped on Wednesday night by Hitu, who was assisted by others.
Meanwhile, the condition of the eight-year-old girl remains critical due to the brutal injuries inflicted on her during the rape. She was transferred to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Dhaka on Saturday from Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
Home Affairs Adviser Lieutenant General (retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury went to CMH to see the child on Sunday and directed the authorities to ensure the highest medical care.
Meanwhile, demanding maximum punishment for rapists and protesting violence against women, teachers and students of Dhaka University and other academic institutions across the country held protest rallieson Sunday. They demanded maximum punishment for those involved in the rape of the girl.
The students also said they want a fair investigation into the recent rape cases that have taken place in different parts of the country as well as the maximum punishment for the guilty in the earliest possible time.
Dhaka Medical College students were seen protesting with red cloths tied over their faces. Later, students gathered in front of the Raju Memorial Sculpture and brought out a procession. North South University and Independent University of Bangladesh held separate protest rallies. Students of Magura Govt College surrounded the court premises, demanding the public hanging of the rapists.
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