High Court orders removal of Muradnagar rape video within 24 hours

The High Court has ordered the removal of the video of the rape incident in Muradnagar, Comilla, from social media within 24 hours. The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has been given this order. At the same time, the court has also directed to ensure adequate security and medical treatment for the victim.

The High Court bench of Justice Fahmida Quader and Justice Syed Zahed Mansur gave this order on Sunday. The writ was filed by lawyer Mir AKM Nurunnabi. He said that the writ will be on the agenda for further hearing on July 14 and before that, the investigation progress report will have to be submitted to the court.

The main accused in the incident, Fajr Ali, was arrested from Dhaka's Sayedabad area around 5 am today. He is the son of Shahid Mia of Baherchar Pachkitta village in Muradnagar upazila of Comilla. Earlier, the police arrested four other youths from the village—Anik, Suman, Ramzan, and Babu—on charges of spreading the video of the rape incident on social media.

Comilla Superintendent of Police Nazir Ahmed Khan said that accused Fajr Ali forcibly entered a house and raped a 25-year-old woman and recorded the brutal incident and spread it. After the video went viral, there was widespread outrage across the country and public opinion developed demanding the immediate arrest of the accused. The victim herself filed a case with Muradnagar Police Station. After the case, the police conducted a raid in Dhaka with the help of information technology and arrested the main accused.

It is learned that the rape victim came to visit her father's house from her husband's house about 15 days ago. The court believes that her privacy and dignity have been severely violated due to the spread of the video of the incident on social media.

According to the High Court, the spread of a video of a sensitive incident like rape is tantamount to a violation of the fundamental rights of the victim and is a criminal offense. The court also directed the relevant authorities to take technical measures, directing them to take prompt action.