By Mainul Islam Khan
DHAKA, Bangladesh
The brutal gang-rape of a woman from a Bangladeshi indigenous group last week has put a spotlight on how the country protects women and minority groups.
More than 500 activists gathered in the capital Dhaka on Sunday to demand the government support the victim, arrest the attackers and ensure security for Bangladeshi women, including those from vulnerable indigenous groups.
There have not yet been any arrests after the 21-year old woman -- from the Garo ethnicity present in northeastern Bangladesh and India -- was forced into a van by five men and subjected to a more than hour-long attack on Thursday night, when she was returning home from work.
"It is really very painful. A girl comes to the capital Dhaka for work but is kidnapped and gang-raped. Three days have gone but police have failed to arrest them," said Sanjeeb Drong, General Secretary of the Bangladesh Indigenous Peoples Forum. "I think the state should take responsibility of the security of its citizens, especially women."
"Sometimes people say that indigenous girls do not go to police and do not file any complaints. I think the state and police should come forward spontaneously, without harassing the victim, and expedite the arrest of the criminals," said Drong.
Human rights activists complained there is a culture of impunity around rape which, compounded by a male-dominated society, threatens women's safety.
Sultana Kamal, the head of legal aid group Ain-o-Shalish Kendra said the rape was a calculated attack.
"We demand the security of all women, including indigenous women. I would like to focus on indigenous women especially because they are still in a weak position in their constitutional existence in this independent country," said Kamal. "The perpetrators also think that as they [indigenous women] are a minority, they might not be able to protest. So that’s why we are here to express our solidarity with them and to inform the state that, if the state and its law enforcement agency fail to ensure women's security, they have to give an explanation to us."
The Garo Students Union, which represents students from the minority group, demanded immediate action from the government at the rally.
Garo activist Tuki Chambugong said: "I think the meaning of raping a girl is raping a society, raping a state. You will notice that in our Garo community, women's rights and their freedom is acknowledged, accepted."
"I think, the rape of this Garo girl is actually a rape of the freedom of women in our society," she said.
The victims, who filed a case with the police on Friday, said she was not able to identify any of her assailants, though her sister claimed that one of them had a week earlier visited the victim in the shop where she worked.
