Tureen Afroz, former Bangladesh war crimes prosecutor, attacked by mob

Tureen Afroz, a former prosecutor who played a pivotal role in prosecuting war crimes committed during Bangladesh’s 1971 War of Liberation, was brutally attacked by a mob in her own home on August 5. The assailants forcibly entered her residence, cut off her hair, and inflicted injuries upon her, questioning her loyalty to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

In an interview with India Today TV, Afroz recounted the harrowing experience, revealing the moments leading up to and during the attack. She said that the mob questioned her for not wearing a hijab, chopped off her hair and also injured her by jabbing a pencil in her leg 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 resist anyone who might come and cause trouble,” she said. “I instructed him not to fight with them.”

Describing the attack, Afroz stated, “It was 7 am when a procession passed in front of my house. A group of men approached my manager, demanding to see the CCTV footage, claiming they wanted to review videos of violence that had occurred. My manager allowed them inside.”

The former prosecutor, who had been keeping a low profile due to the increasingly tense situation in Bangladesh, was caught off guard when the men entered her bedroom.

“I was sitting in my room, when the men came inside and asked if they could speak to me. I was shocked because the men had barged into my bedroom and I was wondering where my 16-year-old daughter was,” Afroz recalled. “I feared for what might have happened outside.”

“When they asked to speak to me, I knew something was wrong. They asked me why I don’t wear hijab. I said, yes, I should wear hijab. They cursed me out. They said I was old enough but behave like a prostitute and asked if I agreed with them. I said ‘Yes, I agree’.”

During the confrontation, the attackers questioned Afroz’s appearance and behaviour. “They asked me why I don’t wear hijab. I said, ‘Yes, I should wear hijab’. They cursed me out. They said I was old enough but behaved like a prostitute and asked if I agreed with them. I said ‘Yes, I agree’.”

She said she was agreeing with their insults in an attempt to pacify them.

“At that moment, I didn’t know if my daughter was safe, or what the condition of my house and the other residents in the building was. I was terrified that if I resisted, they might kill me.”

The situation escalated when the attackers picked up a pair of scissors and cut off her hair.

“They then picked up a pencil and injured my leg, all while accusing me of not leaving with Sheikh Hasina and questioning why I remained in the country,” Afroz added.

Afroz, who is a diabetic patient, showed the black marks on her legs because of the torture.

The attackers then demanded that Afroz publicly recant her work as a war crimes prosecutor, insisting that she go live to denounce her previous efforts and apologise to the nation. “They told me they would provide a script for the video,” she said.

Despite the trauma she has faced, Afroz remains resolute in her decision to stay in Bangladesh. “I will not leave my country even if they take my life,” she declared.

Tureen Afroz is among the hundreds who came under attack in the past two weeks amid the political upheaval in Bangladesh.