The court has ordered to accept the case filed against the factory owner and his associate in Jhalakathi for raping, physically and mentally torturing and impregnating a female worker as an FIR.
On Monday (January 5) afternoon, Jhalakathi Women and Child Abuse Prevention Tribunal Judge Sharif Mohammad Sanaullah took cognizance of the complaint and ordered the officer-in-charge of Jhalakathi Sadar Police Station to accept it as an FIR.
The plaintiff in the case is a female worker of Adi Sabiha Chemical Works (Shahi 99 Jarda) factory in Purba Kathpatti area of Jhalakathi city. Shamsul Haque Manu Mia, vice-president of Jhalakathi Municipality Awami League and managing director of the factory, has been named as the first accused in the case, and Farid Hossain, a factory worker, has been named as the second accused.
According to the complaint, Farid Hossain took Rubina Begum to the factory owner, Manu Mia, by luring her with a job. Manu Mia forced her to have physical intercourse against her will at various times by luring her with various enticements. After that, she was raped several times in the name of her job.
The case description further states that on November 7, 2024, accused number 2 Farid Hossain also forcibly raped her. When Rubina Begum became pregnant, Shamsul Haque Manu initiated a marriage registration with Farid Hossain on January 1, 2025 to keep the matter secret and to legalize the child. Later, when a daughter was born on July 15, Farid Hossain divorced her on September 23 of the same year.
The complaint further states that when the accused tried to disclose the incident, she was intimidated, beaten and threatened by the victim and at one stage she was thrown out of the factory. Later, when she fell ill and went to the police station to file a case on December 2 after consulting with witnesses, the police advised her to file a case in court. Then, hoping for justice, she approached the court.
According to court sources, the names of several witnesses have been mentioned in the case and necessary action has been ordered to be taken after a legal investigation into the complaint.
In this regard, plaintiff's lawyer Parthasarathi Roy confirmed the matter of the case and said, "We have approached the court with the aim of ensuring that the victim woman gets justice."
Although attempts were made to contact the mobile number used by accused Shamsul Haque Manu Mia several times to get his statement, the phone was switched off.
In this regard, Jhalakathi Sadar Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Imtiaz Ahmed said that the court's instructions have not yet reached the police station. Legal action will be taken if we receive them.
