| Rape of Purnima Rani Shil | |
|---|---|
| Part of 2001 Bangladesh post-election violence | |
| Location | Purbadelua, Ullahpara Upazila, Sirajganj District, Bangladesh |
| Date | 8 October 2001 Evening/Night (BST (UTC+6)) |
| Target | Purnima Rani Shil (Hindu minority) |
Attack type | Gang rape, religious persecution, political violence |
| Weapons | Physical force |
| Deaths | 0 |
| Injured | Physical assault, loss of eyesight (relatives), psychological trauma |
| Perpetrators | Activists of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami |
| Motive | Post-election backlash against Hindus |
The gang rape of Purnima Rani Shil occurred on 8 October 2001 in Ullahpara Upazila, Sirajganj District, Bangladesh, during the post-election violence that followed the 2001 Bangladeshi general election. The victim, Purnima Rani Shil, a Hindu teenager, was targeted by supporters of the victorious Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)-led coalition. Although 11 perpetrators were sentenced to life imprisonment in 2011, the victim and human rights activists have noted that the decade-long delay and lack of immediate punishment rendered the justice system ineffective.
On 1 October 2001, the general elections in Bangladesh were won by a coalition led by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami with a large majority. Following the victory, supporters of the coalition launched a systematic campaign of violence against the Hindu minority, who were perceived as supporters of the rival Awami League. Amnesty International reported that Hindus were driven off their land, their homes were burnt, and Hindu women were subjected to rape and sexual violence. [1]
Purnima Rani Shil (also spelled Sheel) was a student living in Purbadelua village in Ullahpara, Sirajganj. Her age at the time of the attack was 12. During the election on 1 October, Purnima served as a polling agent at the Purbadelua High School centre. During the voting process, BNP supporters reportedly attempted to forcibly stamp ballots. Purnima protested this action and reported it to the administration, leading to an altercation with the opposition activists. [2] [3]
On the evening of 8 October 2001, one week after the election, a mob of approximately 30 to 40 men attacked Purnima's family home. [3] The attackers were identified as local activists and supporters of the BNP-led coalition. [4]
The mob looted the house and beat Purnima's family members severely. [5] Her mother, Basona Rani Shil, suffered a broken hand during the assault. Her father, Anil Chandra Shil, and siblings were also beaten; her brother Rakhal Chandra Shil was injured in the eyes and eventually lost his sight. Another brother, Gopal Chandra Shil, and a sister, Gita Rani Shil, were also injured. [2]
The attackers dragged Purnima from her home to a nearby cremation ground and field. Although neighbours holding kerosene lamps witnessed the abduction, no one intervened to save her. [6] Purnima was gang-raped by the men until she lost consciousness. She was found unconscious in a field hours later. Purnima later recounted that the attackers "tore off my clothes" and "made dirty jokes" during the ordeal. [7] [8]
Following the attack, Purnima's family faced continued threats; they were forced to flee their village in Purbadelua and were unable to return. The family's hairdressing business was looted twice, and her father was offered bribes to withdraw the case, which he refused. [3]
Purnima was initially treated at the local health complex before being moved to Sirajganj Sadar Hospital. She was later brought to Dhaka for protection and treatment by cultural activists and human rights defenders, including Shahriar Kabir and Wahedul Huq. [2] Shahriar Kabir, a journalist who sought to publicize abuses against Hindus, was later arrested by the BNP-led government, with Amnesty International declaring him a prisoner of conscience. [1]
Purnima faced harassment and was forced to change her name to "Purnima Sarker" to sit for her Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examinations and to complete her bachelor's degree due to the social stigma attached to rape victims in Bangladesh. [8] Years later, she reported being harassed online and having fake social media accounts created in her name spreading obscene content. [7]
Purnima's father, Anil Chandra Shil, filed a case with the Ullahpara Police Station on 10 October 2001, accusing 16 people of rape and looting. However, the investigation was reportedly obstructed during the tenure of the BNP-Jamaat government. Police initially refused to register cases in similar incidents of anti-Hindu violence. [9] [2]
In 2009, after the Awami League returned to power, a judicial probe commission headed by Judge Mohammad Sahabuddin was formed to investigate the post-2001 election violence against minorities. The commission found that 26,352 people, including 25 ministers and lawmakers from the BNP-Jamaat alliance, were involved in over 18,000 major crimes, including rape and murder. [4] The commission's report specifically highlighted Purnima's case. [5]
On 4 May 2011, the Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal in Sirajganj delivered its verdict. Judge Osman Haidar sentenced 11 perpetrators to life imprisonment and fined each of them 100,000 Bangladeshi taka (approx. US$1,400 at the time). At the time of the verdict, only six of the convicts were present in court, while five others remained at large. [9] [10] The court acquitted six other accused due to lack of evidence. [11]
Purnima expressed dissatisfaction with the verdict, arguing that at least two of the ringleaders, whom she knew and who were from her own village, deserved the death penalty. [2]
On 1 May 2024, the Rapid Action Battalion and police arrested Easin Ali, one of the fugitive life-term convicts, in the Ashulia area of Dhaka. [12]
Following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government in August 2024, on 1 March 2025, families of the rapists and local BNP leaders organised a human chain in Ullahpara. Speakers at the demonstration claimed the case was "false, fabricated, and politically motivated" by the previous "fascist government". They demanded the immediate release of the convicts and the cancellation of benefits provided to Purnima. [11]
Purnima received financial support for her education from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. After completing her studies, she worked as a music tutor in Dhaka. [13]
Purnima founded the Purnima Foundation Trust in 2014 to support victims of sexual violence and raise awareness about violence against women. [8]
In January 2018, Tarana Halim, the then State Minister for Information, appointed Purnima as her "personal officer" (PO). Tarana Halim stated she appointed Purnima to acknowledge her struggle against the atrocities committed by the BNP-Jamaat alliance. [14] However, Purnima lost this job in 2019 after the minister's tenure ended and the position was not made permanent. [15]
In 2019, she purchased a nomination form from the Awami League, seeking to become a member of parliament for a reserved women's seat, [16] though she noted she lacked the financial resources for a full campaign. [8]
In 2023, Purnima called the then Acting Chairman of BNP, Tarique Rahman, a "disease" and blamed the party for the stigmatization and violence she endured. [6]
The Guardian criticized the British government and others for turning a "blind eye" to the atrocities committed by fundamentalists in Bangladesh at the time. [3]
During the 2021 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) used Purnima's story and image in campaign videos titled "Didi you do not love us" to highlight the persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh and appeal to Hindu voters in West Bengal. [17]
In 2023, Purnima expressed fear regarding the 2024 Bangladeshi general election, stating that a return of the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami to power would force her to flee, as she could not survive another wave of such violence. [18]