ICC Note:

Christians in Bangladesh protested in the country’s capital, Dhaka, after a Christian teacher was raped by her school’s principal and a friend last week. According to reports, the principal, a Muslim, and his friend tried covering up their crime by threatening to post a video of the rape to social media if the victim did not keep quiet. Acts of violence against religious minorities, including Christians, have dramatically increased in Bangladesh. Brutal murders of religious minority leaders, bloggers, and LGBT activists have many concerned that radical Islamic groups are freely operating across the country.  

5/16/2016 Bangladesh (Asia News) – Hundreds of Christians protested yesterday in the streets of Dhaka, denouncing the brutal rape of a Catholic teacher by the Muslim principal of the school where she works. The sexual violence against the 26-year-old woman, who shall remain anonymous, took place on May 13 in Kushtia located in western Bangladesh.

The teacher was raped and then threatened to with public humiliation through the posting of the video of the rape online Facebook. Nirmal Rozario, General Secretary of the Bangladesh Christian Association, told Asia News: “We have heard about the incident and ask the local administration for justice. We want that the attackers be punished. ”

The woman belongs to the Bhabarpara parish, in the diocese of Khulna (south-west of the capital). She teaches at Majibnagor Amrokanon High school in which Shariful Islam, a Muslim, is principal. On May 12, she traveled into the town of Kushtia, about 20 km away from the school, for a public exam for teachers. The headmaster accompanied her.

The two spent the night in two separate rooms of a hotel, but the next morning the headmaster and his friend forced open the door of the room and raped the girl. Then they threatened to post pictures of her rape on the social network, if she talked to anyone.

…

[Full Story]