Police are awaiting the autopsy results of an eighth-grade schoolgirl who died from excessive bleeding from her genitals within about a month of her marriage in Tangail.
“We will take the necessary legal action after receiving the autopsy report,” Basail police station Officer in-Charge (OC) Harunur Rashid said.
The girl’s family demanded justice and filed a written complaint against the in-laws with Basail police station .
Eighth grader Nurnahar, 14, succumbed to her injuries at Dhaka Medical College Hospital on Sunday.
She was married to Rajib Khan, 34, son of Abdur Rashid from Fulki Paschimpara village in Basail.
The girl’s grandfather Lal Khan said his granddaughter, before her death, told him at the hospital: “Although I begged for my life, cried and told my husband that I am bleeding and struggling to breathe, he still did not leave me alone. He [Rajib] said this is normal at the beginning and everything would be okay in a few days.”
Nurnahar’s father said: “I called Rajib’s father a few times. He said ‘what can I do. You guys make sure she gets her treatment’.”
Alleging that Nurnahar’s in-laws did not check on her, the father said Rajib left the hospital right after admitting Nurnahar there.
Rajib said: “I had sex with her for five to six days after marriage. She said she was having pain and bleeding from her genitals. We informed the matter to our guardians.”
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Advocate Ataur Rahman Azad, general secretary of the Bangladesh Human Rights Implementation Agency, said: “The incident is inhumane. This is a result of child marriage. If they managed to provide medical treatment immediately, the girl would not have died.”
Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Shamsun Nahar Shapna told Dhaka Tribune: “I have heard that an eighth grade student has died as a result of child marriage. Whether the girl's death was due to child marriage or some other reason can be said after investigation.
“However, it is very sad if she died due to child marriage. Not just laws, but social awareness is needed to eradicate child marriage. Everyone in the society has to contribute in this regard,” she said.
Nurnahar was studying at Kalia Vidyalaya [school] of Kalia village in Tangail's Basail upazila.
The girl's poverty stricken family was tempted to marry off their daughter to Rajib as he worked in the United Arab Emirates, according to locals and the victim's family.
As Nurnahar was underage, the marriage was not officially registered. She was married off 34 days before her death.
Although she was bleeding excessively from her genital, her husband Rajib reportedly continued sexual activity, disregarding the girl's need for immediate medical attention.
As her condition deteriorated, she was first taken to a clinic in Tangail and then shifted to Kumudini Hospital in Mirzapur. She was later transferred to the DMCH where she died early on Sunday.
Basail Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer Dr Firozur Rahman said bleeding is a possibility during sexual encounters at an early age. If such a condition occurs, immediate medical attention is needed.
