Van Driver Arrested Following Child Sexual Assault

A seven-and-a-half-year-old girl has been subjected to a sexual assault in the Hatibandha sub-district of Lalmonirhat. Following a review of closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage, the local police have apprehended a van driver identified as Taleb Ali in connection with the incident.

The suspect, Taleb Ali, is the son of Shiar Shekh and resides in the Dolapara (Maydan) locality within the Barkhata union of the Hatibandha sub-district. The victim is currently receiving medical attention and undergoing treatment at the Lalmonirhat Sadar Hospital.

Incident Background and Sequence of Events

According to the First Information Report (FIR) filed with the police, the incident transpired on the day following Eid, which fell on a Friday. At approximately 19:00 hours, the young girl visited her grandfather, who works as a barber, at his shop located in the Barkhata market area. Upon receiving 20 Taka from her grandfather, the child proceeded to the Barkhata Chowrangi intersection.

At the intersection, she approached the accused van driver and requested transport to her residence. The suspect permitted the child to board his vehicle. However, instead of taking her home, he diverted the route and transported her to a nearby garage, where the sexual assault took place. Following the assault, the perpetrator fled the scene, leaving the victim behind. Shortly thereafter, another van driver overheard the child crying, intervened to assist her, and safely transported her back to her family home.

Medical Response and Investigation Progress

On the day following the assault, the victim was initially admitted to the Patgram Upazila Health Complex for medical evaluation and primary care. As her condition required further attention, she was subsequently transferred to the Lalmonirhat Sadar Hospital, where she remains institutionalised under professional medical supervision.

The legal proceedings commenced on the following Monday when the victim’s grandfather formally lodged a complaint at the Hatibandha Police Station against an unidentified van driver. Upon receiving the formal complaint, law enforcement officials initiated a targeted investigation.

By retrieving and scrutinising CCTV camera footage from the vicinity of the crime scene, officers successfully identified the suspect. The Hatibandha police executed a raid that very night, resulting in the successful arrest of Taleb Ali. Sub-Inspector Sanjoy Kumar Pal, the primary investigating officer assigned to the case, confirmed that the identification and subsequent apprehension of the accused were achieved directly through systematic digital evidence analysis and rigorous investigative procedures.