The accused, identified as Taizul Islam Musa, was detained by members of the Special Response Battalion (SRB) following a raid in the coastal upazila on Tuesday (3 November).
According to the police, a team of SRB-8 personnel from Patuakhali arrested Musa at around 5.30pm near China Garden in Ward No. 1 of Kalapara municipal town. Acting on a tip-off, the team conducted the operation and subsequently handed him over to Kalapara Police Station later that evening.
The arrest followed a case filed on 31 October by Mehedi Hasan Riaz, the teenage girl’s stepfather. The case was lodged under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act and the Pornography Control Act.
Musa has been named as the principal accused. His wife, Fahima Begum, is among seven people named in the case, while another two to three unidentified individuals have also been accused. Musa is a resident of Monsatali village in Dalbuganj Union of Kalapara upazila.
According to the complaint, Riaz lives in Rupatali, Barishal, because of his employment. His wife and teenage daughter, meanwhile, live in a rented house owned by Abdul Wadud in the Medinabagh area of Nachanapara, within Kalapara municipality.
The girl is Riaz’s daughter from his first marriage. Following his second marriage around 14 years ago, she had been living with her stepmother in Kalapara. Riaz also visited the family home from time to time.
The complaint states that the teenager had been suffering from health problems, prompting family members to seek treatment through different means. During this period, they were introduced to Musa through an acquaintance named Asim Gazi, who was already known to the family.
The family alleges that Musa used the promise of treatment as a means to gain the girl’s trust and influence her. He allegedly promised to marry her before establishing a sexual relationship with her.
According to the case statement, Musa secretly recorded several videos of their intimate moments on his mobile phone. He subsequently used the footage to threaten and allegedly force the teenager into further sexual encounters on multiple occasions.
The situation reportedly escalated when the girl and her mother began pressing Musa and Asim over the marriage issue. Rather than resolving the matter, the accused allegedly took steps to intimidate the family.
The complaint further alleges that the accused transferred the recorded videos to a pen drive and went to the family’s residence. During the visit, they allegedly threatened the girl and her mother, warning them not to disclose the incident to anyone.
They were also allegedly told that the intimate videos would be circulated on social media if they revealed what had happened. The threat left the family deeply distressed, with Riaz claiming that they were now living in fear and feeling unsafe.
The case has raised serious concerns about the potential misuse of traditional healing practices to exploit vulnerable individuals. It also highlights the risks associated with the non-consensual recording and threatened distribution of intimate material, particularly when minors are involved.
Such allegations require careful investigation, especially where digital evidence may be central to establishing the circumstances of the alleged abuse and intimidation. The protection of the teenage victim’s identity and privacy will also be crucial as the legal process moves forward.
Kalapara Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md Nazrul Islam confirmed the arrest. He said SRB-8 personnel from Patuakhali had detained Musa and handed him over to the police.
The OC added that the accused would be produced before the court for further legal proceedings.
The allegations against Musa and the other named individuals will be subject to investigation and judicial proceedings.
