Attempt-to-rape case 'politically motivated' : Charges against AL lawmaker dropped
An attempt-to-rape case filed more than nine years ago against ruling Awami League lawmaker Kamal Ahmed Majumder has been dropped, as the government found it "politically motivated".
In the case statement, it was alleged that on December 30, 2001, some eight men forcibly took a 35-year-old woman to Kamal's Pallabi office in the capital where he tried to rape her. He was not a parliament member at that time.
The victim filed the case with Pallabi Police Station accusing Kamal, his brother Monwar Hossain Majumder and Nazma Hossain.Police submitted charge sheet against the three on April 9, 2002 and the Third Special Tribunal for Prevention of Women and Children Repression, Dhaka, framed charges against them on October 7, 2004.
On May 6 last year, Judge Bimal Chandra Sikder of the tribunal granted a government petition for withdrawal of the charges. On July 6, 2009, the home ministry and sent a letter asking Dhaka district magistrate for steps to scrap the case.The letter read the government decided to have the case withdrawn, considering it "politically motivated" and "meant for harassment".
The district magistrate on July 23 the same year asked the Dhaka metropolitan public prosecutor (DMPP) for necessary action in this regard. On May 2 last year, DMPP Mohammad Abdullah Abu submitted before the tribunal the petition along with the home ministry recommendations.Hearing the petition, the court acquitted all the defendants of the charges.
Contacted, DMPP Abdullah Abu told The Daily Star he does not remember withdrawal of the attempt-to-rape case.He said there are no guidelines for identifying any case as "politically motivated". They do it [the withdrawal] after analysing case documents and recommendations from political leaders.The DMPP even does not recall whether a court framed charges against the lawmaker.
In the case statement, it was alleged that on December 30, 2001, some eight men forcibly took a 35-year-old woman to Kamal's Pallabi office in the capital where he tried to rape her. He was not a parliament member at that time.
The victim filed the case with Pallabi Police Station accusing Kamal, his brother Monwar Hossain Majumder and Nazma Hossain.Police submitted charge sheet against the three on April 9, 2002 and the Third Special Tribunal for Prevention of Women and Children Repression, Dhaka, framed charges against them on October 7, 2004.
On May 6 last year, Judge Bimal Chandra Sikder of the tribunal granted a government petition for withdrawal of the charges. On July 6, 2009, the home ministry and sent a letter asking Dhaka district magistrate for steps to scrap the case.The letter read the government decided to have the case withdrawn, considering it "politically motivated" and "meant for harassment".
The district magistrate on July 23 the same year asked the Dhaka metropolitan public prosecutor (DMPP) for necessary action in this regard. On May 2 last year, DMPP Mohammad Abdullah Abu submitted before the tribunal the petition along with the home ministry recommendations.Hearing the petition, the court acquitted all the defendants of the charges.
Contacted, DMPP Abdullah Abu told The Daily Star he does not remember withdrawal of the attempt-to-rape case.He said there are no guidelines for identifying any case as "politically motivated". They do it [the withdrawal] after analysing case documents and recommendations from political leaders.The DMPP even does not recall whether a court framed charges against the lawmaker.
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