1. Your name is HenaAkhter. You are 14 years and
and live in Bangladesh with your 4 older brothers
and sisters.
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2. Your mother, Aklima Begum, tells you that your cousin,
Mahbub Khan, is coming to stay from Shariatpur.
His son will be in your grade.
You’ve heard rumors about your You look forward to seeing
cousin, but you brush them off. them both.

3. Your mother sees your worried face, and asks what is
wrong.
You tell her nothing is wrong. You explain the feeling you get in
the pit of your stomach when you
think of your cousin…

4. Your mother just smiles, and tells you that it will be
good to see them again.
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5. Once they arrive, you are in charge of walking your
cousin’s son to school and showing him around.
You are both in 7th grade.
As you start walking, you can feel your cousin’s (his
father) stare. He is 42.
You ignore it, and keep You look over your shoulder
moving stiffly forward. and maintain eye contact, until
he looks away.

6. After a few days of this, you approach your father,
Darbesh Khan about the continued staring.
He goes to the village elders
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7. The elders initiate a $1,000 fine for Mahbub Khan to
pay.
However, this is will bring great shame to your family.
Ask your father to Insist that the fine be
pardon the fine. paid

8. It turns out not to matter what you think, because
your father’s older brother (and Mahab’s father)
asks that the matter be quietly let go, without
paying the fine.
Many months pass.
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9. One night, you have to go to the bathroom.
You rise from your bed and make your way to the
outdoor restroom.
You hear a suspicious noise
Continue to make your way Turn back and walk
to the outhouse. towards your hut.

10. Before you make it to the hut, someone grabs you
and ties a cloth around your mouth.
He forces you behind a bush, and then rapes you.
You recognize the person as your cousin.
Scream for help Wait quietly for it
to be over

11. Upon hearing your screams, the man’s wife goes
looking for you both.
She finds you together.
Outraged, she drags you to her hut and beats you.
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12. The man’s wife finds you together.
Outrages, she drags you to her hut and beats you.
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13. The elders meet to discuss what happened.
They proclaim that you and your cousin were in an
illicit relationship.
As punishment, he will be whipped 201 times.
You will be whipped 101 times.
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14. After the 70th lashing, you fall, unconscious.
Mahab escapes after withstanding only a few.
You are taken to the hospital. One week later, on
January 1st, you die there.
Your last words, to your mother, proclaim your
innocence.
The End

15. This was based off of a true story.
Hena’s first autopsy dictated that her death was a suicide, but was
changed to a death of internal injuries after public outbursts.
This case study raises important questions about the use of sharia
(Muslim law). Although it is illegal in Bangladesh, the practice
is still a common occurrence.
There are many varying opinions on how secular or how traditional
the sharia should be, or if it should be in practice at all.
http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/03/29/bangladesh.lashi
ng.death/index.html