A Dhaka court has ordered the marriage of singer Mainul Ahsan Nobel, currently jailed on rape charges, with the former Eden College student who filed the case against him. The decision was made following a joint petition stating mutual consent for marriage. The court instructed prison authorities to facilitate the marriage and report back.
Nobel has been in custody since May 20, following his arrest in a rape case filed under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act. The case alleges that he detained, assaulted, and raped the student over several months, broke her phone, and recorded the assault to blackmail her. The woman was rescued on May 19 from Nobel’s home in Demra after her family contacted police upon seeing a viral video. Nobel attempted to flee but was arrested later that night.
Despite the gravity of the charges, both parties have now expressed willingness to marry. The court’s directive raises questions about justice, coercion, and the use of marriage as resolution in sexual violence cases.
Bangladesh Feminist Archives 