Two Girls, Two Fates — One Nation
By Mohammad Shariful Alam Chowdhury, Cumilla
Is Justice Equal for All in Bangladesh?
On March 6, 2025, 10-year-old Achhia was visiting her sister’s in-laws in Nijnanduali village, Magura. That day, she was raped in the very home of her relatives. Rushed first to Magura 250-bed hospital, then to Faridpur Medical College, and finally to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Dhaka—Achhia died on March 13 while undergoing treatment.
The horror triggered outrage across the country. Social media was flooded with protest posters, videos, and calls for justice. The nation stood united against child violence.
But what happened next shocked many:
Within just 7 days, the legal process moved at record speed:
- The case was officially registered
- The suspects were identified and arrested
- The charge sheet was filed
- Trial proceedings began
The government assured fast-track justice—and delivered on that promise.
Nine Years, No Justice for Tonu
Sohagi Jahan Tonu, a history student at Cumilla Victoria Government College and an active member of the local theatre scene, went to tutor a student on the evening of March 20, 2016. She never came back. That night, her body was discovered in a bush near the Power House area inside Cumilla Cantonment.
Initial reports suggested that Tonu had been raped and murdered. Her father, Iyaz Hossain, filed a case at Cumilla Kotwali Police Station the very next day.
But then—justice disappeared into silence.
Over the past nine years:
- The investigation agency changed four times
- The investigating officer changed six times
- Two autopsies failed to determine the cause of death
- In 2017, DNA analysis found semen from three men, but no one was arrested
- Three suspects were interrogated, but their identities were never revealed
Tonu’s mother, Anwara Begum, still pleads for justice:
“My daughter lies in her grave. The killers are free. All we see is new investigators—no results. We don’t want more drama. We want justice.”
One Nation—Two Realities
In Achhia’s case, the process was fast and clear. Evidence was documented, suspects were arrested, the case proceeded with urgency. Society and the state reacted in unison.
In Tonu’s case, the crime scene—a military cantonment—was deemed "sensitive". Forensic reports were vague. Investigators often failed to communicate with the family. Even after nine years, no charge sheet has been filed. The killers remain unknown and untouched.
Veteran journalist and liberation war researcher A.B.M. Atikur Rahman Bashar says:
“When justice depends on who you are—or where you're harmed—can a country claim rule of law?”
Justice for Some, Silence for Others
Both were daughters of Bangladesh. One received justice in 7 days. The other waits after 9 long years.
This contrast raises a painful truth: Justice in Bangladesh is not yet equal.
Achhia’s case gives us pride.
Tonu’s silence gives us shame.
Until justice is blind to power and sensitive to pain—the nation’s promise remains unfulfilled.
“We don’t want more drama. We want justice.”
— Anwara Begum, Tonu’s mother
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