Mosque Imam Remanded in Custody Over College Student Rape Charges

A court in Sunamganj has ordered the detention of a mosque imam accused of raping an eleventh-grade college student under the false pretext of marriage.

The accused, 30-year-old Humayun Ahmed, was presented before the Bishwambharpur Zone Cognisance Judicial Magistrate Court on Wednesday afternoon. Senior Judicial Magistrate Mohammad Emdad directed that Ahmed be remanded in judicial custody pending further legal proceedings. During the hearing, no legal representative appeared on behalf of the accused to seek bail, a detail subsequently confirmed by Assistant Sub-Inspector Farid Ahmed, the court’s General Registration Officer.

Key Case Details

• Accused: Humayun Ahmed (30), son of Ichhab Ali, hailing from Madhurkandi village, Salukabad Union, Bishwambharpur.

• Victim: An eleventh-grade college student residing in Bishwambharpur, Sunamganj.

• Primary Allegations: Coercive sexual assault under the false promise of marriage, accompanied by intimidation with a weapon.

• Legal Timeline:

  • 26 July: Victim’s father filed a complaint with the Sunamganj Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal.

  • 4 August: Police arrested the accused from Baghber Bazaar, Bishwambharpur.

  • 5 August: The accused was presented in court and sent to prison; victim submitted her statement under Section 22.

According to police reports and court documentation, Ahmed served as the imam of a local Jamme mosque in Bishwambharpur township. Over time, he established a romantic relationship with the victim, an eleventh-grade student living in the vicinity. Investigators allege that Ahmed sexually assaulted the young woman on multiple occasions after assuring her that they would marry. To ensure her silence, he reportedly threatened her at knifepoint. When the victim subsequently pressured him to fulfil his promise of marriage, Ahmed refused and made further threats against her safety.

Unable to secure redress locally, the victim’s father approached the Sunamganj Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal on 26 July, filing a formal complaint against the religious teacher. Upon evaluating the initial petition, the tribunal instructed the Bishwambharpur Police Station to formally register the case and take appropriate enforcement action. Acting on these judicial directions, officers launched an investigation and successfully arrested Ahmed on Tuesday evening from the Baghber Bazaar area of Bishwambharpur.

Following his arrest and subsequent court appearance, the victim recorded her official deposition under Section 22 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, providing her account directly to the magistrate. Meanwhile, relatives and supporters of the accused have rejected the allegations, claiming the case is fabricated and demanding his immediate release. Police investigations into the matter remain ongoing.