Madrasa Student Detained Over Alleged Sexual Assault of Child

Police in Khoksa, Kushtia, have detained an eighth-grade madrasa student following allegations of sexually assaulting a five-year-old girl in Baswa village under the Shimulia Union. The victim, who suffered severe injuries during the assault, remains admitted at Kushtia General Hospital, where she continues to receive emergency medical care.

The incident unfolded on Wednesday afternoon, 5 August, while the child’s parents were working in a nearby marshland processing harvested jute. According to family members, the young girl was initially resting inside her home alongside her paternal grandparents. She later went outside to play with neighborhood children on the village road. Shortly after, the suspect—identified as Saikat Ali, a resident of the adjacent house—approached the child and offered to guide her to where her parents were working in the fields.

Rather than taking the girl to her family, the suspect allegedly led her to an isolated field of thatch grass nearby, where he assaulted her. Following the act, he attempted to pacify the child by promising to buy her crisps and sweets before abandoning her in a physically distressed state. The injured child managed to reach her parents in the fields and recounted what had transpired. Her parents immediately rushed her to the emergency department of the Khoksa Upazila Health Complex. Attending doctors provided initial medical care before transferring her to Kushtia General Hospital due to the severity of her condition.

The child’s grandmother, Rahela Khatun, recounted the events surrounding her granddaughter’s sudden disappearance from the house, confirming that the suspect took advantage of the child’s trust by pretending to assist her.

The father of the accused, Ershad Ali, who serves as a local village police officer (Gram Police), stated that he personally handed his son over to the authorities. Ershad Ali explained that upon learning of the incident on Wednesday evening, he confronted his son, who promptly fled the village. The father tracked the youth to his maternal grandmother’s residence in the neighbouring Pangsha Upazila, apprehended him, and surrendered him to the Officer-in-Charge of Khoksa Police Station on Thursday morning. Expressing deep remorse, the father openly acknowledged his son’s involvement in the crime.

Nasir, the ward member for Ward 9 of Shimulia Union, confirmed that local representatives had been notified of the assault and were cooperating with law enforcement. He noted that Sub-Inspector Raju of the local police station had conducted preliminary inquiries in the area to verify the details of the crime.

Confirming the detention, the Officer-in-Charge of Khoksa Police Station, Molla Zakir, stated that police officers took the suspect into custody following his location in Pangsha. Official legal proceedings, including the formal filing of a case under the relevant child protection acts, are currently underway as investigators gather forensic evidence and record statements from the victim’s family.