A 13-year-old girl has allegedly been raped by her stepfather in Patgram, Lalmonirhat, prompting her mother to file a case with the Patgram police station. The accused, identified as Selim Hossain, has reportedly gone into hiding following the incident.
According to the police and the case statement, the incident allegedly took place at around 10pm on Wednesday (26 August) in Bhandardah area of Ward 7 in Jagatber Union, under Patgram upazila.
The girl, who studies at an orphanage madrasa in Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila, was allegedly taken out by her stepfather earlier that evening. According to the complaint lodged by her mother, Selim took the girl to her maternal uncle’s home in the Kachuarpar area for a visit.
After they had eaten there, Selim allegedly took the girl with him through Tongtingdanga towards Kashirdanga. The complaint states that he then took her to a bamboo grove in the area, where the alleged assault took place.
The case statement further alleges that Selim subsequently left the girl beside a road and fled from the area.
Following the incident, the girl reportedly sought shelter at the home of a local elected representative. After she informed people there about what had happened, the national emergency service number 999 was contacted.
Police from Patgram police station subsequently reached the area and rescued the girl. She was initially admitted to Patgram Upazila Health Complex for medical care.
On Thursday morning, she was transferred to Lalmonirhat Sadar Hospital for further treatment. Hospital authorities are providing the necessary medical attention under the supervision of healthcare professionals.
The girl’s mother filed the case at Patgram police station at around noon on Thursday (27 August). Police have since launched an operation to locate and arrest the accused.
Selim has remained unaccounted for since the alleged incident, while his mobile phone has also reportedly been switched off. As a result, his response to the allegations could not be obtained.
Patgram police station officer-in-charge Saiful Islam confirmed that a case had been filed by the girl’s mother. He said police were conducting an operation to arrest the accused.
The allegations are now subject to a police investigation, while the girl is receiving medical care. The case will proceed through the relevant legal process, with investigators expected to examine the circumstances surrounding the allegation and gather evidence as part of the investigation.
