A local BNP leader in Netrokona’s Kendua has been removed from all party positions after allegations emerged that he repeatedly raped a schoolgirl and recorded a video of the alleged abuse, which was later circulated on social media.
The accused, Rafiqul Islam Bhuiyan Bakul, is a joint general secretary of Kendua municipal BNP and general secretary of the party’s ward-5 unit. He is also reportedly a relative of the victim, with the complaint identifying him as her maternal uncle by marriage.
The girl’s father filed a case at Kendua Police Station late on Tuesday night under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act and the Pornography Control Act. Five people have been named in the case, while three to four unidentified individuals have also been accused.
Police arrested the second accused, Abu Mia, 35, at around 3am on Tuesday from the Saudpara area of Kendua municipality. He was sent to court on Wednesday afternoon, according to police.
Bakul, 50, who has been named as the principal accused, remains at large. Police said efforts are under way to locate and arrest the other accused.
According to the case statement and allegations made by the victim’s family, the girl is currently a Class 10 student. The alleged abuse began around four years ago, when she was studying in Class 6 at Kendua Saberunnesa Girls’ School.
The complaint states that on 20 November 2022, Bakul allegedly took the girl to a house on her way home from school, telling her that he would take her to a doctor. She was allegedly raped at the house, and the incident was recorded on video.
The family alleges that the accused subsequently used the recording to threaten the girl and force her into sexual relations with different people at different locations. Several others were allegedly involved in facilitating the abuse.
The allegations further state that when the girl recently refused to comply with such demands, the previously recorded video was circulated on social media. The incident subsequently came to the attention of her family, who took the matter to the police.
The other named accused are Abu Mia; Bakul’s 21-year-old daughter, Mosa Lima; his 48-year-old wife, Mosa Jahanara Begum; and Mosa Smriti, 32. Several unidentified people have also been included in the case.
The allegations prompted immediate action from the local BNP organisation. In a notice issued on Wednesday night, Kendua municipal BNP president Khokon Ahmed Dealer and general secretary Md Moazzem Hossain Khan announced that Bakul had been relieved of his primary membership of the party as well as all positions at every level.
The notice cited alleged violations of party discipline and involvement in immoral activities as the grounds for the decision.
Moazzem Hossain Khan said he initially learned about the allegations through social media and later found the claims credible following an inquiry. He said the local party organisation subsequently decided to remove Bakul from his party positions and cancel his primary membership.
Kendua Police Station officer-in-charge Tarikul Islam confirmed that Abu Mia had been arrested in connection with the case and subsequently produced before the court. He said police were continuing efforts to arrest the remaining accused.
The allegations remain subject to investigation and judicial proceedings. No finding of guilt has been established against those accused at this stage.
The case also highlights the particular vulnerability of minors in alleged sexual abuse cases involving threats to circulate intimate recordings. Such allegations can expose victims to further psychological distress and social pressure, making confidentiality and protection of the victim’s identity an important consideration while the investigation proceeds.
