Rubel accuser 'drops' charges, law may differ

Rubel Hossain's match-winning performance against England may fetch him an unexpected pay-off - a Bangladeshi actress says she will drop the charges under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act against him that saw him spend three nights in jail in January. But Bangladeshi law does not allow such charges to be dropped unilaterally, and the entire legal process is usually drawn-out and complicated.

The actress, Naznin Akhtar Happy, told a private TV channel in Bangladesh, in the aftermath of the England match on Monday, that she was moved enough to drop the charges.

"I've forgiven him. I am not going to continue the case against him," Happy told Channel 24 television on Tuesday. "I am not going to give any testimony or evidence against him. And if I don't carry on with the case, then there is no case."

Her statement came a day after her lawyer Cumar Debul Dey said he wouldn't represent Happy. A few hours after Bangladesh's win over England, he wrote on his Facebook page: "I am withdrawing myself as Happy's lawyer in light of Bangladesh and Rubel's success. In future, if any other lawyer is appointed to deal with this case, I will not have any problems."

On January 8 Rubel was sent to jail by a Dhaka court in a case filed under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act. Dhaka Metropolitan magistrate Muhammad Anwar Sadat passed the order after Rubel surrendered before the court and pleaded for bail. Rubel had, on December 15, been granted four weeks of anticipatory bail in the case. This came two days after the complainant, an actress, had filed the case against Rubel with Mirpur police station on charges of making false promises of marriage.

Three days later Rubel was granted bail pending the police submission of the charge sheet to the court. He was also allowed to travel abroad, excusing him from appearing before the court for further proceedings.