Death sentence for police rapists

Corruption is said to be high among the police force

By Moazzem Hossain in Dhaka

The High Court in Bangladesh has upheld death sentences against three former policemen who were found guilty of the rape and murder of a 17-year-old girl.

The men were convicted in 1997 of the murder of the girl, Yasmeen, and their appeal against the convictions resulted in Monday's verdict.

Human rights activists hailed the ruling

Yasmeen's death provoked widespread public outrage against the police force, resulting in numerous violent clashes between protestors and police.

Human rights groups have hailed the verdict as a victory against the Bangladeshi police force, which they describe as profoundly corrupt and incompetent.

Yasmeen, who worked as a housemaid, was picked up by a police patrol while she was heading home in the northern town of Dinajpur in 1995.

Several hours later she was found dead in a roadside ditch with apparent signs of having been raped and tortured.

Landmark ruling

In a stern judgement the court stressed that police officers should never be allowed to get away with such crimes ever again.

Bangladeshis have little faith in their police

The ruling has been greeted with widespread approval by members of the public, as well as women and civil rights campaigners.

Allegations of corruption, incompetence, and the use of torture have often been levelled against the Bangladeshi police.

A recent report by Transparency International, a leading anti-corruption watchdog, rated the police as the most corrupt profession in the country.

But police officers still rarely face prosecution.

Some campaigners argue that this may well be the first time in the country's history when police officers have been brought to justice on charges of rape.

The Bangladeshi police force will have to work hard in the coming weeks if it wants to restore its tarnished image and win back the trust of a large majority of the public.