No Safe Place: Teenage Girl Reports Sexual Harassment Against Teacher, Burnt Alive In School

We are seeing women all around the world showing extreme courage through #MeToo movement, and calling out their sexual harassers. But some of these women are being punished for their courage – personally and professionally.

One such extreme case has come to light where a 19-year-old girl was set on fire by a group of people for reporting sexual harassment against her school teacher in Bangladesh.

Nusrat Jahan Rafi, a student at a Madrassa in Bangladesh, was called by the principal to his office. Siraj-ud-Daula, the teacher started touching her inappropriately, but before things could become worse she ran out of the office. Later, she gathered the courage and lodged a complaint with the police.

The police recorded her statement in a video, which got leaked on social media to embarrass the teenage girl.

What happened next will shake your soul.

A few days after lodging the complaint, Rafi was tricked and asked to come to the roof of the school building. Here a group of Burkha clad people surrounded her and asked her to withdraw the complaint against the principal. Nushrat being brave as ever, refused to do so.

These people surrounding her then threw kerosene and set her on fire.

Nushrat suffered 80% burns and died 4 days later at the hospital.

As per Independent, the brave soul had recorded a statement before her death on her brother’s mobile. She said:

“The teacher touched me, I will fight this crime till my last breath”

This shameful and heart-wrenching act has angered the public and triggered protests all over.

“We want the highest punishment of the killers of Nusrat who was set on fire because of protesting sexual assault.#Bangladesh #JusticeForNusrat pic.twitter.com/thW24wvrNX

— মেঘ (@Megh_18) April 11, 2019

 

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Nusrat Jahan Rafi, an 18-year-old student studying at an Islamic school, in Feni, Bangladesh, went to the police on March 27 to file a report against her principal for allegedly sexually harassing her. Eleven days later, she went to school to take her exams but was tricked into going to the rooftop of a school building, where at least four unidentified people set her on fire after she refused to listen to their demands for her to withdraw her complaint against the principal. For the full story, click the link in bio ???? (????: Facebook, Getty) – #justicefornusrat #woman #women #girl #girls #sexualharassment #gender #genderviolence #violence #femicide #violenceagainstwomen #feminism #equality #equalrights #womensrights #islam #muslim #hijab #hijabi #madrasa #metoo #timesup #consent #justice #feni #bangladesh #bangladeshi

A post shared by BuzzFeed World (@world) on Apr 18, 2019 at 9:48am PDT

Nusrat Jahan Rafi who died after being set on fire was laid to eternal rest at her village home in Feni district of #Bangladesh . She was buried at their family graveyard following a namaz-e-janaza at Mohammad Saber Pilot High School ground around 5:50pm. #justicefornusrat pic.twitter.com/Ce123WRutC

— Ali Ahmad Mabrur (@Mabrur00) April 11, 2019

The principal has been arrested by the police. Bangladesh Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina has come out publicly and assured that everybody involved in the gruesome act will be brought to justice soon.

The problem of sexual harassment has been ever growing, and what’s making it worse is the fact that even our schools have become unsafe. If teachers themselves become predators, how will parents be able to keep their girls safe?

We salute Nushrat’s courage in raising her voice against her culprits and making all efforts to get them punished. Rest In Peace!