Rape in Rain Tree Hotel, Banani: TIB Concerned over the possibility of further delay in ensuring justice in view of bail granted to the principal accused soon after the transfer of the relevant judge

PRESS RELEASE

Rape in Rain Tree Hotel, Banani 

TIB Concerned over the possibility of further delay in ensuring justice in view of bail granted to the principal accused soon after the transfer of the relevant judge

Dhaka, December 2, 2018: Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has expressed deep concern over the prospect of further delay in ensuring justice in the high-profile rape case in the Banani Rain Tree Hotel thanks to the release of the principal accused. In a statement issued today, TIB strongly demanded exemplary punishment of the guilty subject to speedy trial in the due process as per law. Questions and grave concerns have been logically raised in the minds of the people over the transfer of the judge, immediately following which the bail was granted, the statement added. In this context TIB has called upon the government to prevent any such measures that affect the due process of justice. 

Dr. Iftekharuzzaman, Executive Director of TIB said in the statement, “it is a matter of grave concern that the case remains pending a year and a half after the charge was framed. Advantage has been taken of this long delay in granting the bail to the accused under special consideration. Whereas according to the nature of the case the process of justice was due for completion within 180 days. Therefore, the question indeed remains whether such delay and granting of bail is helpful for ensuring justice”.

Dr. Iftekharuzzaman said, “we are particularly concerned that according to media source around the middle of this year the case for the court was changed and more recently immediately before the bail of the principal accused, the judge was changed. In such a reality it is natural to raise question about the commitment to ensure justice. The change of court followed by transfer of the judge and immediately thereafter the issuance of bail are all evidences of lack of commitment of the relevant authority to ensure justice”. 

Calling for speedy and due completion of the process and for ensuring exemplary punishment, Dr. Zaman recalled that TIB had earlier demanded justice in this high profile and gruesome case. “It was in that context that TIB also engaged with the Government in a process leading to the recently approved first ever national Gold Policy, the main purpose of which is transparency and accountability in the ever expanding gold and jewelry business bedeviled by corruption and smuggling”, he said. “Any failure to ensure justice to one of the key actors of the sector in an unspeakable rape case will not only constitute injustice to the victims of a heinous crime but also grossly undermine the objective of the gold policy”, he added.     

Media Contact:

Sheikh Manjur-E-Alam

Director - Outreach and Communication

Cell: 01708495395

Email: manjur@ti-bangladesh.org