Women rights activists resent arbitration of MP

Women rights activists are angry over the pouring of human stool on a woman at a village arbitration led by Awami League MP Shawkat Hachanur Rahman Rimon at Patharghata in Barguna. They said that they would move the court against the ‘inhuman’ act committed under the lawmaker’s orders Sunday.
Several other public representatives were also present at the Gawharpur village arbitration conducted on Sunday following allegations that the housewife harassed local people and filed ‘false cases’ against some of them.The woman was beaten with shoes and human stool was poured on her head at the MP’s instruction.
Patharghata Upazila female Vice-Chairman Fatima Parvin, who was one of the arbitrators, said Thursday that the housewife had been found guilty of ‘harassing several local people’. She said: “I cannot accept this punishment even though she was found guilty. But as the MP announced the punishment, we had to accept it.”
When asked, Rimon told bdnews24.com: “That woman deserved beating for the offence she committed.”“If she was beaten, there might be cases. Others present at the arbitration suggested forcing her to swallow human stool. I ordered pouring stool on her head instead.” Police said that they did not record any case as no complaint had been lodged.
Chief Executive of non-government development organisation Jago Nari Hosne Ara Hasi went to the village on learning of the incident. After the visit  Thursday, she told bdnews24.com: “The verdict that the MP had given was inhuman.