State Fails to Protect Martyrs’ Families: Snigdha

Staff Correspondent

Mir Mahbubur Rahman Snigdha, CEO of the July Martyrs Memorial Foundation, has stated that the state has failed in its primary responsibility to ensure the safety of families of the July-August movement martyrs.

He made the remarks early Sunday at the morgue of Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital in Dhaka.

The statement followed the tragic death of Jasim Uddin’s 17-year-old daughter, a martyr of the July movement, who reportedly died by suicide at her residence in Shekhertek, Dhaka, on Saturday night. Her body was sent to the hospital morgue.

Snigdha said, “The state bore the foremost responsibility of ensuring the safety of martyrs’ families from the July-August movement. The tragic event involving Jasim Bhai’s daughter is evidence of the state’s failure. We demand justice and the immediate arrest of all those involved in the rape case of Jasim Bhai’s daughter.”

He further revealed that the girl had been a victim of rape recently and was undergoing treatment. “Her mental health had deteriorated significantly. Upon learning of her condition, the July Martyrs Memorial Foundation provided all possible support, including mental health counseling by professionals,” he added.

According to Snigdha, a team from the foundation met with the girl on Saturday evening to offer support. However, despite these efforts, her mental health reportedly worsened due to a lack of sufficient care.

Family sources reported that the incident of gang rape occurred on March 18 in Patuakhali’s Pangashia Union while the girl was traveling to her grandparents’ home. She later filed a case against the accused at Dumki Police Station.