The 19-year-old madrasa student died from burns last week sparking protests in the south Asian nation.
A schoolgirl was burned to death in Bangladesh on the orders of her head teacher after she reported him for sexually harassing her, police said on Friday.
The death of 19-year-old Nusrat Jahan Rafi last week sparked protests across the south Asian nation, with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina promising to prosecute all those involved.
Rafi was lured to the rooftop of the madrassa she attended where her attackers asked her to withdraw the sexual harassment complaint she had filed with police.
When she refused, she was doused in kerosene and set on fire. Rafi died from burns covering 80 percent of her body on April 10.
Police said on Friday that one of the 17 people arrested in connection with her death had accused the school’s principal of ordering the attack.
The teacher “told them to put pressure on Rafi to withdraw the case or kill her if she refused”, senior police superintendent Mohammad Iqbal, who is leading the investigation, told AFP.
Victims of sexual harassment in Bangladesh are often shamed or humiliated by officials when they report it, says @hrw.
– There are no witness protection laws or comprehensive school anti-harassment laws
– Less than 1% of reported rapes result in convictions, say rights groups pic.twitter.com/9ttE3c37ms— AJ+ (@ajplus) April 18, 2019
