Bangladesh: 16 people brought to justice for the murder of a young woman

(Patria) - Bangladeshi police have charged 16 people, including the head of a madrasa, with the murder of a 19-year-old woman.

Nusrat Jahan Rafi was brutally murdered by burning, sparking protests across Bangladesh, while the prime minister promised to prosecute everyone with any connection to the murder.

Reuters reports that Rafi was lured by her attackers to the top of the madrasa building she attended in her hometown of Feni, where they demanded she withdraw a sexual assault complaint against the head teacher.

When Rafi refused their demand, they doused her with kerosene and set her on fire. She died of her injuries five days later, and before her death, she recorded a video in which she reiterated the allegations of abuse by the head teacher.

Her death has shed new light on the growing number of sexual assault cases in Bangladesh.

Police will file a lawsuit against 16 people, including two women from her class. Lead investigator Mohammad Iqbal stated that he will propose the death penalty for the group of perpetrators of the brutal murder.

When Rafi reported the case to the police at the end of March, the head of the local station registered her report as 'nothing significant'.

The president of the women's rights organization 'Mahila Parishad' said that much more needs to be done than just an investigation to put an end to the 'culture of impunity' for cases of sexual assault and rape. She claims that 'a small number of rape cases end with indictments', and the organization's statistics reveal that as many as 950 women were raped in Bangladesh last year alone.