Jamaat Leader Accused of Raping Widow and Causing Miscarriage

A case has been filed against Mohammad Shahidul Islam, president of the Patuakhali Sadar upazila unit of Jamaat-e-Islami’s youth wing, over allegations that he raped a widowed woman and subsequently caused her pregnancy to be terminated against her will. The accused has reportedly been absconding since the allegations emerged.

The matter was confirmed to the media on Tuesday night, 28 July, by Mohammad Humayun Kabir, a lawyer representing the complainant.

The woman filed the case with the Patuakhali Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal on 22 July. Shahidul Islam is the sole accused named in the case. After taking the complaint into cognisance, Judge Shirin Nila directed the officer-in-charge of Patuakhali Sadar Police Station to register the case and take legal action against the accused in accordance with the law.

According to the case statement, the complainant’s husband died around seven years ago. She subsequently moved to her father’s home with her only son. The woman alleged that Shahidul approached her on several occasions with inappropriate proposals after seeing her there. When she refused, he allegedly proposed marriage.

The complainant said she eventually agreed to the marriage proposal. Shahidul then allegedly told her that his sister would meet her and took her to Patuakhali town. According to the complaint, on 24 March at around 9am, the woman went to his sister’s residence on Sher-e-Bangla Road. She alleged that Shahidul took her into a room, confined her there and raped her.

She further alleged that Shahidul repeatedly raped her while threatening and intimidating her, eventually leaving her pregnant.

The woman claimed that when Shahidul later wanted to terminate the pregnancy, she refused. She alleged that on 18 May, he took her to a clinic, ostensibly for a medical examination. According to her statement, she was given medication there and was threatened when she declined to take it.

The complainant alleged that she eventually took the medicine and became seriously unwell. When she regained consciousness the following day, she was allegedly informed that the pregnancy had been terminated after she was made to take the medicine.

The allegations have yet to be established in court, and the accused has not publicly responded to the specific claims. As the case proceeds, investigators are expected to examine the complainant’s allegations, relevant medical records and other available evidence before determining the next legal steps.

Humayun Kabir, the complainant’s lawyer, said the woman had allegedly been taken to Patuakhali town on the promise of marriage before being confined and sexually assaulted at the residence of the accused’s sister. He said the tribunal had taken the case into cognisance and instructed the police to register it and take action against the accused.

When contacted, Patuakhali district Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Nazmul Ahsan said he did not wish to comment on the allegations while the matter was before the court. He said the court would determine whether the allegations were true or false and added that organisational action would be considered if Shahidul were found guilty.

Patuakhali Sadar Police Station Officer-in-Charge Moniruzzaman said police had not yet received a copy of the court’s order. Once the order is received, he said, the police will proceed against the accused in accordance with the tribunal’s directions.

The case has brought renewed attention to the need for due process in allegations of sexual violence. While the complainant’s allegations require proper investigation, the accused is also entitled to a fair legal process until a court reaches a final determination.