Your name is Hena Akhter. You are 14 years and and live in Bangladesh with your 4

older brothers and sisters.

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Your mother, Aklima Begum, tells you that your cousin, Mahbub Khan, is coming to stay from

Shariatpur.

His son will be in your grade.

You’ve heard rumors about your cousin, but you brush them off.

You look forward to seeing them both.

Your mother sees your worried face, and asks what is wrong.

You tell her nothing is wrong. You explain the feeling you get in the pit of your stomach when you think of your cousin…

Your mother just smiles, and tells you that it will be good to see them again.

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Once they arrive, you are in charge of walking your cousin’s son to school and showing him around. You are both in 7th grade.

As you start walking, you can feel your cousin’s (his father) stare. He is 42.

You ignore it, and keep moving stiffly forward.

You look over your shoulder and maintain eye contact, until he looks away.

After a few days of this, you approach your father, Darbesh Khan about the continued

staring.

He goes to the village elders

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The elders initiate a $1,000 fine for Mahbub Khan to pay.

However, this is will bring great shame to your family.

Ask your father to pardon the fine.

Insist that the fine be paid

It turns out not to matter what you think, because your father’s older brother (and Mahab’s father) asks that the matter be quietly let go, without paying the fine.

Many months pass.

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One night, you have to go to the bathroom.

You rise from your bed and make your way to the outdoor restroom.

You hear a suspicious noise

Turn back and walk towards your hut.

Continue to make your way to the outhouse.

Before you make it to the hut, someone grabs you and ties a cloth around your mouth.

He forces you behind a bush, and then rapes you.

You recognize the person as your cousin.

Scream for help Wait quietly for it to be over

Upon hearing your screams, the man’s wife goes looking for you both.

She finds you together.

Outraged, she drags you to her hut and beats you.

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The man’s wife finds you together.

Outrages, she drags you to her hut and beats you.

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The elders meet to discuss what happened.

They proclaim that you and your cousin were in an illicit relationship.

As punishment, he will be whipped 201 times.

You will be whipped 101 times.

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After the 70th lashing, you fall, unconscious.

Mahab escapes after withstanding only a few.

You are taken to the hospital. One week later, on January 1st, you die there.

Your last words, to your mother, proclaim your innocence.

The End

This was based off of a true story.

Hena’s first autopsy dictated that her death was a suicide, but was changed to a death of internal injuries after public

outbursts.

This case study raises important questions about the use of sharia (Muslim law). Although it is illegal in Bangladesh, the

practice is still a common occurrence.

There are many varying opinions on how secular or how traditional the sharia should be, or if it should be in practice

at all.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/03/29/bangladesh.lashing.death/index.html