Former girlfriend 'forgives' Bangladesh hero Rubel in rape case

E-Paper | March 12, 2026

DHAKA: A Bangladeshi actress who filed a rape case against cricket star Rubel Hossain said Tuesday she was withdrawing the charges against the fast bowler, a day after his match-winning heroics at the World Cup.

Naznin Akter Happy, 19, made the rape allegation earlier this year after claiming 25-year-old Rubel had reneged on a promise of marriage that he made while they were having an “intimate affair”.

The allegation had threatened to scupper Rubel's chances of appearing in the World Cup after he was remanded in custody by a court in Dhaka.

But he was later granted bail until the end of the World Cup in view of “national interest” as he was a key member of Bangladesh's team.

In the latest twist of a saga which has gripped Bangladesh, Happy said she had decided to forgive her former boyfriend who starred in a dramatic victory over England on Monday.

“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Her move came hours after her lawyer, Debul Dey, said he would no longer represent Happy as he did not want to put Rubel under pressure while he was representing his country in Australia and New Zealand.

Rubel took four for 53 in the win over England in Adelaide, which enabled Bangladesh to qualify for the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time.

Although victims of alleged rapes are usually entitled to anonymity, police waived reporting restrictions after Happy told the Bangladeshi media that she would drop the allegations if Rubel agreed to marry her.

Rubel has consistently rejected the allegation of rape or claims that he had offered to marry Happy, instead accusing her of “blackmail”.

Happy became a household name for her debut movie “Kichu Asha Bhalobasa” (Some Hopes, Some Loves) which hit cinemas in 2013.

Sport

HBL PSL 2024: United edge Kings in high-stakes encounter

Babar Azam slammed for poor captaincy

All to play for after Australia, England clash washed out

Mar 10, 2015 05:55pm

Sad news, she should not drop allegations. Being a good cricketer does not negate the fact that he raped her. Nothing in the world should excuse that.

Recommend 0

saeed

Mar 10, 2015 06:23pm

I am waiting to hear the response of women rights organizations

Recommend 0

hrk

Mar 10, 2015 06:30pm

@aLi It does not depend on relation but more on consent.

Recommend 0

Riaz

Mar 10, 2015 06:51pm

Very controversial; but touching.

Recommend 0

Mohammed Niyaas

Mar 10, 2015 06:54pm

There is every possibility that this withdrawal from actress and her lawyer comes from somebody threatening them

Recommend 0

Nas

Mar 10, 2015 06:56pm

May be you dont have a stronger case

Recommend 0

Mar 10, 2015 06:57pm

He should take her to court for defamation! If she was truly raped she would never withdraw the case!

Recommend 0

Saraz

Mar 10, 2015 07:17pm

Emotional south Asians.

Recommend 0

Salman

Mar 10, 2015 07:52pm

@MS Totally agree with you Being a good cricketer should not give you a carte blanche to rape Either he is guilt or innocent should be decided by court. Her withdrawal of the case shows that allegations were doctored and not real.

Recommend 0

azmat

Mar 10, 2015 07:53pm

I don't think she had a case any way. She performed consensual sex with the man. If she was that concerned about losing her "virginity" , why could she not wait to get married to him first. Was any one stopping her. I think it was more of a blackmailing than anything else which the media and the so called women rights NGO blew out of proportion to grind their own axe. In fact she is admitting to having sex without marriage which is a punishable offence under the Bangladeshi law :))

Recommend 0

Danish

Mar 10, 2015 08:16pm

Now she wants to marry a cricketing star Rubel !!

Recommend 0

Jaz

Mar 10, 2015 08:16pm

So now if a man changes his mind before marriage, the girl can file for a rape case. "Naznin Akter Happy, 19, made the rape allegation earlier this year after claiming 25-year-old Rubel had reneged on a promise of marriage that he made while they were having an “intimate affair”."

Recommend 0

Sam

Mar 10, 2015 08:24pm

This will set wrong example and more players will be encouraged to do the wrong and get away with it....retraction should be not allowed.

Recommend 0

Jaz

Mar 10, 2015 08:25pm

@MB "the fact that he raped her"? Did you actually read the story? So an allegation is all it takes to make rape into a fact apparently. Especially if you men refuse to marry a woman. Beware men!

Recommend 0

Dr. Sadaf

Mar 10, 2015 08:45pm

It just takes this much to drop serious charges? Actually very funny, maybe there never was a case.

Recommend 0

pTi

Mar 10, 2015 08:45pm

@MB based on the story, it wasn't rape, it was an affair. She was just using rape allegation to blackmail him

Recommend 0

Junaid

Mar 10, 2015 08:45pm

@MB this is not considered a rape. She got intimate on a false promise of marriage which does not mean she was not willing. He can be liable for a verbal contract or written one, if there was any. But no way this is a rape. It was not against her will.

Recommend 0

Dekh Magar Pyaar Se

Mar 10, 2015 09:09pm

Did he commit a rape or not? If he did - then he should be punished regardless of his cricketing achievements. If it was just a false accusation or cheap publicity stunt then Naznin should be punished.

Recommend 0

Nasir

Mar 10, 2015 09:33pm

Isn't very common in love to give assurance to get married in future? Especially, in the society where premarital intimacy is forbidden by the social and religious law! These are happening in our society everyday, only few are published, when encountered with a courageous girl or in this case an actress could flow it for a different reason too!

Recommend 0

Farhan

Mar 10, 2015 09:44pm

Just rubbish. some advertisement tricks.

Recommend 0

Tahir Khan

Mar 10, 2015 09:58pm

A clear demonstration of lack of understanding of what justice is. Either he did this, or he did not. One way or the other someone should be punished, either for rape , or for alleging unfounded charges. The irony of this is she did this right after when the world was celebrating Women's Rights Day.

Recommend 0

Farhan

Mar 10, 2015 10:08pm

Rubbish, Just advertisement trick.

Recommend 0

MRS

Mar 10, 2015 10:11pm

Is having Sex out of wedlock permissible in Bangladesh ?

Recommend 0

Khalid

Mar 10, 2015 10:12pm

This withdrawal shows the lawsuit was all LIES.

Recommend 0

lol

Mar 10, 2015 10:20pm

Wait til Bangladesh is knocked out by India lol

Recommend 0

Godfather

Mar 10, 2015 10:37pm

I thought premarital sex is considered as taboo in Islam...... m

Recommend 0

Raz

Mar 10, 2015 10:58pm

Both should be punished as per Islamic Law..

Recommend 0

Imran A.

Mar 10, 2015 11:04pm

Is Bangladesh a Muslim country? Wow, how can a girl openly claim that they had an intimate relationship but because it did not convert to marriage, it's a rape. That won't roll in Pakistan. Both are guilty in Islamic law because she forgave. Even worse, the lawyer decides to pull out of the case because he is exhilarated with Rubel's performance. Absolutely unethical lawyer.

Recommend 0

Haider Rehman

Mar 10, 2015 11:06pm

Ladies dont trust a man on the promise of marriage. If he was serious about you he would have married you earlier.

Recommend 0

BRR

Mar 10, 2015 11:18pm

This is called impunity. Sad. A crime is a crime is a crime, even if a Nobel prize winner commits it.

Recommend 0

nomadic

Mar 10, 2015 11:21pm

Being good in cricket doesnt grant u right to rape, I now hope dhawan and rohit sharma take rubel hussain to cleaners:) on quarter final

Recommend 0

NASR

Mar 10, 2015 11:22pm

A News One OF It Kind only

Recommend 0

Amit Gupta

Mar 10, 2015 11:31pm

She is claiming that the "rape" charge she put, bcos he did not follow thru with marriage, not cos she was actually raped. By that criteria, if such loose interpretation of a heinous human act is adopted in all countries, then probably India will be in a situation to give a lecture back to western countries on morality and women opression

Recommend 0

Pakistani

Mar 10, 2015 11:42pm

@Godfather and what the point .................west rap statistic are appoling .... almost every minute a rape ........ its taboo in every language, religion and society

Recommend 0

prada

Mar 10, 2015 11:56pm

Shows the whole rape allegation was a drama

Recommend 0

saad

Mar 11, 2015 12:09am

Looks a publicity stunt...otherwise how can a woman forgive someone who raped her?? Honour of a women is the most important thing and no woman can forgive that...

Recommend 0

Zak

Mar 11, 2015 12:19am

It's becoming like India. Celebrity status supersedes rape crime.

Recommend 0

G. Din

Mar 11, 2015 12:26am

"And if I don't carry on with the case, then there is no case.” The clincher!

Recommend 0

sujon

Mar 11, 2015 12:44am

@MB if she don't do this then she going to jail because she was lair n blackmail a man.

Recommend 0

Faruk

Mar 11, 2015 12:56am

i think Dawn is a very Popular news paper in Pakistan, you guys have other news for publish. jsut stop such kind of news

Recommend 0

Tanvir Mahmud

Mar 11, 2015 12:56am

This reporter did not mention about forensic report of Happy. Court was to verdict after investigation. So how can you blame Robel now?

Recommend 0

Tanvir Mahmud

Mar 11, 2015 01:01am

@Junaid but she filed a rape case.

Recommend 0

Smot

Mar 11, 2015 01:28am

This is so absurd.

Recommend 0

Farhad Rana

Mar 11, 2015 02:16am

@Imran A. Bangladesh is a secular country with muslim majority.

Recommend 0

Farhad Rana

Mar 11, 2015 02:19am

@Raz Bangladesh is not run by Islamic or shariah law. It is a secular country.

Recommend 0

XYZ-Indian

Mar 11, 2015 02:59am

Let Quarter-final come the same Hero will be cursed

Recommend 0

Anwar Siddique

Mar 11, 2015 03:12am

What type of pressure was put on this poor girl to recant? Her life threatened? She was given money?

Recommend 0

Dave

Mar 11, 2015 04:36am

I am from Bangladesh and sex before marriage is 100% legal. this girl's case was very poor because to prove rape she has to show rubel forced her to do that which she cant prove. at the time of having sex both agreed. but as she is only 19 that's why her emotion took her to court.

Recommend 0

Yemeen Zuberi

Mar 11, 2015 04:42am

@Sam But they have to hit a century.

Recommend 0

Mahfooz Jafry

Mar 11, 2015 05:05am

@lol sure she will re-start the case.

Recommend 0

Tamza

Mar 11, 2015 06:00am

@MB I agree with your sentiment, with one clarification: he DID NOT 'rape' her against her will. It was consensual; he did what many men do [or he changed his mind]: he told her that he would marry her. So it isnt 'really' rape, it is breach of promise'. In any case, this 'cult of celebrity' on the part of the woman AND the judge who 'released' him will eventually make the problem much worse. But in South Asia ['British India'] the VIP Culture is alive and well.

Recommend 0

Tamza

Mar 11, 2015 06:03am

@Junaid unless the law defines that breach of agreement ad 'rape'

Recommend 0

TooTrue

Mar 11, 2015 06:28am

This can only happen in Muslim countries. The state has no interest in prosecuting a crime. In a civilized country if there was enough evidence the perpetrator would be tried regardless of what the victim said. If it was determined that the victim had lied then she would be in the dock for wasting police time. But here you can murder someone, pressure the relatives into a deal and get off Scott free.

Recommend 0

Nadulal

Mar 11, 2015 06:37am

Wow!!! What an end to the horrific story?! Encourages youngsters that if they are successful in their careers then they could get away with any crime!

Recommend 0

Santosh Menon

Mar 11, 2015 07:09am

When it is consensual, it's not Rape! Honey didn't get roles for movies! The old trick: become a part of sensational news! Bingo! Now she has offers from the industry! That's the upside, now to the downside: will end up as an escort! Fame comes with a price!

Recommend 0

sri1

Mar 11, 2015 08:06am

@Zak "It's becoming like India. Celebrity status supersedes rape crime" Better that it become like India in many many aspects, don't you agree?

Recommend 0

Tanvir Mahmud

Mar 11, 2015 10:23am

@Anwar Siddique go and investigate

Recommend 0

Abdulla Hussain

Mar 11, 2015 10:36am

"But he was later granted bail until the end of the World Cup in view of “national interest” as he was a key member of Bangladesh's team" When will Pakistan learn the goodness of "National Interest"

Recommend 0

hemaet hossain

Mar 11, 2015 03:53pm

Its a one kind of politics .

Recommend 0

Mar 11, 2015 08:00pm

Guys this getting crazier by the minut, either he is guilty and should be prosecuted or The lady who has alleged the rape be prosecuted for false allegations regardless of what he has done ie Bill Cosby

Recommend 0

Indian

Mar 12, 2015 05:42am

@Junaid "@MB this is not considered a rape." I do agree with you; but unfortunately it's rape as per law. Most of such laws are bias in favor of women.

Recommend 0

illawarrior

Mar 12, 2015 09:30am

@Indian What law turns consensual sex into rape when both parties are adults?

Recommend 0

Harsh

Mar 12, 2015 01:44pm

Why did Sarah and Zak forgive him?

Recommend 0

Mar 12, 2015 04:10pm

@Jaz She never said he "didnt" rape her. Just that she dropped charges for cricket. If he did or didnt, thats for the legal system to determine

Recommend 0

Mar 12, 2015 04:11pm

@pTi Thats for the law to decide

Recommend 0

timtom

Mar 12, 2015 04:17pm

Nonsense...Rubel should sue her for defamation ...Being rape case there would have been umpteen organizations backing her claims to see him in jail..what will they do now ? Will they go after her ?

Recommend 0

sanjeev

Mar 12, 2015 05:34pm

Happy is now Very Happy.

Recommend 0

Branded Content

Master MoltyFoam’s Women’s Day initiative supports the next generation of female athletes

This year, Master MoltyFoam used the occasion to highlight the importance of support in sports by launching an initiative focused on encouraging young female athletes in Pakistan.