Turin Afroz, a former prosecutor who played a key role in the prosecution of war crimes committed during Bangladesh’s 1971 Liberation War, was brutally attacked by a mob in her own home on August 5. The attackers forcibly entered her home, cut her hair and injured her, raising questions about her loyalty to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
In an interview with India Today TV, Afroz recalled the horrific experience, revealing the moments before and during the attack. She said the mob questioned her for not wearing a hijab, chopped off her hair and injured her by stabbing her leg with a pencil multiple times.
“On August 5, when I came to know through media reports that Sheikh Hasina had left the country, I told my manager not to oppose anyone who might come and create trouble,” he said. “I instructed him not to quarrel with them.”
Describing the attack, Afroz said, “It was around 7 am when a procession passed in front of my house. Some people came to my manager and demanded to see CCTV footage. They claimed they wanted to see videos of the violence that took place. My manager allowed them inside.”
The former prosecutor, who has been keeping a low profile amid growing tensions in Bangladesh, was taken aback when the men barged into her bedroom.
“I was sitting in my room when they came in and asked if they could talk to me. I was shocked because they had entered my bedroom and I was wondering where my 16-year-old daughter was,” Afroz recalls. “I was scared of what might have happened outside.”
“When they asked me to talk, I knew something was wrong. They asked me why I don’t wear the hijab. I said, yes, I should wear the hijab. They abused me. They said I was old enough but behaved like a prostitute and asked if I agreed with them. I said, ‘Yes, I agree’.”
During the encounter, the attackers questioned Afroz’s dress and behaviour. “They asked me why I don’t wear a hijab. I said, ‘Yes, I should wear a hijab’. They abused me. They said I am grown up but behave like a prostitute and asked if I agree with them. I said ‘Yes, I agree’.”
She said she agreed with his insults in an attempt to calm him down.
“At that time, I didn’t know if my daughter was safe, or the condition of other people living in my house and building. I was afraid that if I resisted, they would kill me.”
The situation worsened when the attackers picked up scissors and cut her hair.
“He then picked up a pencil and hurt my leg, and also accused me of not going with Sheikh Hasina and asked why I was staying in the country,” Afroz said.
Afroz, a diabetic patient, showed the black marks on her feet due to torture.
The attackers then demanded that Afroz publicly retract her work as a war crimes prosecutor, and insisted that she come live to denounce her past efforts and apologize to the nation. “They told me they would provide a script for the video,” she said.
Despite the trauma she has suffered, Afroz is firm in her decision to stay in Bangladesh. “I will not leave my country even if they take my life,” she said.
Turin Afroz is among hundreds of people who have been attacked over the past two weeks during political turmoil in Bangladesh.