No impunity for rapists

Accusations of rape should never, ever be taken lightly.

And a recent case, where four BCL leaders were arrested for involvement in the rape and murder of a girl in Barguna, should be no different.

Time and again, we have observed these goons and thugs treat this country as their own personal playground, all because they are affiliated with the current ruling party.

This is no way for a student political party to behave.

It is up to the ruling party to rein in these goons, and ensure that they understand that there will be consequences for their actions.

The fact that they think they can get away with crimes as serious as rape and murder is testament to the shocking amount of impunity they have enjoyed in the past.

Rapists must be brought to book, no matter who they are, and who they are connected to.

So far, four have been arrested in the case, and we expect them to be punished to the full extent of the law.

A clear message must be sent, and not just to politically connected goons: These crimes will not stand.

Moving forward, what is important is for law enforcement and the authorities to book these hooligans -- no excuses.

When it comes to protecting our women, Bangladesh still lags behind, and incidents such as these serve to highlight just how unsafe women still are.

For too long, women in this country have been living in fear of sexual assault, severely restricting their own movements, and for too long, the perpetrators of sex crimes have been protected.

It is time to throw the book at these rapists, and lock them up.