Acid-burnt victim cries for justice

The victim Taslima Akter Shilpi, 20, of Bhoronshahi village under Dhunat thana was admitted to one-stop crisis centre (OCC) of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) on Wednesday for better treatment.

Taslima told The Daily Star yesterday that on November 9 when she was sleeping in her father-in-law's house at Bhoronshahi village, an unidentified person knocked the closed door of her room at about 9:00pm to inform her that her father was seriously ill and her mother had asked her to go home at once.

As she opened the door, her teacher Shawkat Ali, who was standing there, threw acid on her face, neck and wrist and fled the scene.

Hearing her scream, the mother-in-law and others came to the scene and rushed her to Dhunat thana health complex.

Shawkat, a teacher of Sonamukhi Primary School, made the attack along with his three accomplices, the victim said.

"Of them, I could recognise only Chan Miah, a friend of Shawkat," she added.

While Taslima was a student, Shawkat tried to have an affair with her in vain. So he proposed to marry her, but this proposal was also rejected.

Meanwhile she got married to a driver of a CNG-run three-wheeler.

The dejected teacher also made an attempt to rape her, she alleged.

"My husband Faraizul Islam filed a case with Dhunat Police Station against Shawkat and his friends Chan Miah and Idris in this regard," she said.

At this, the teacher warned them of dire consequences including acid-attack if they do not withdraw the case, Taslima said.

Later, another case was filed against them for throwing acid on her, said the husband.

Police are yet to arrest any culprit.