The High Court has dismissed a writ petition seeking government instructions to prevent marriages between rape victims and their perpetrators.
On Monday, a bench comprising Justice Fatema Nazib and Justice A. F. M. Saiful Karim issued the order, rejecting the petition. The court noted that the petition was improperly filed, naming the Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs instead of the Law Secretary as the first respondent, and therefore it was not suitable for hearing.
The writ had been filed on October 22 last year in the High Court’s relevant branch by lawyer Rakibul Hasan in the public interest.
The petition argued that marrying a rape victim to her perpetrator normalizes sexual violence, weakens the rule of law, and perpetuates a culture of impunity for heinous crimes. Hasan requested the court to issue a rule requiring authorities to explain why their inaction in preventing such marriages should not be declared unlawful.
