Justice for Rahela e Nadine!

by Dr. Kathryn Ward

Over the last few months, many Bangla blogs and websites (and a few English ones) have focused their attention on Justice for Rahela, a garment worker who was tortured and left for dead in August-September 2004, but survived for one month to name her assailants, which I also wrote about on her third death anniversary in September in Bideshi Blue and this Blog.

Rahela's case as represented by Ain-O-Salish-Kendra will be considered in a court case this next week (end of October) in Bangladesh (see Rezwan citing Bangla blogs and Justice for Rahela blog, Facebook (Justice for Rahela), and Google pages). A Youtube video of Rahela in the hospital speaking of her ordeal and her family during her last month in 2004 has been posted. However, no coverage has appeared in any English language newspapers and supporters of her case have encouraged people to write to English and Bangla newspapers to encourage coverage of her case.

Please watch the video, read the blog entries, and let your voice be heard for justice for Rahela. You can do this through letters to the media (including popular Bangladeshi blogs, many of which have ignored her case), talking with others about this and other forgotten cases, and support brave organizations and survivors that step forward to fight such cases.

BTW the power of some citizen media has been shown in the outpouring of blog and Facebook entries and support for Nadine who is recovering in New York City from an alleged assault-rape by her husband, Sajid Huq, who was arrested by NYC police. His first hearing is scheduled this week as well. At the same time, many of the popular English Bangladeshi blogs and newspapers have ignored this case except for the Daily Star. All of us need to continue to watch the progress of this case in the USA as well as provide support/protection for Nadine's family in Bangladesh, which reportedly has been harassed for her filing the case in the USA.

(also cross-posted on Bideshi Blue)