Case Filed Over Rape of Schoolgirl in Kumarkhali, Suspect Flees

A formal case has been registered with the local police following the horrific sexual assault of a 10-year-old girl in the Kumarkhali Upazila of Kushtia. The victim’s father filed the lawsuit at around 10:00 pm on Sunday under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act. The sole accused in the case is a 16-year-old boy who recently sat for his Dakhil examinations from a local madrasa. He has been on the run since the incident occurred.

According to police sources, court statements, and local residents, the victim is a fifth-grade student who resides at her maternal grandfather’s house for her schooling. The incident took place on Sunday morning when she went to a nearby morning madrasa (maktab) for her daily religious lessons. The suspect’s younger sister happens to study at the same institution. Following heavy rainfall that morning, both young girls remained inside the mosque premises even after their lessons had concluded.

Taking advantage of the weather, the teenage suspect arrived with an umbrella to fetch his younger sister. After escorting his sister home, he reportedly returned to the mosque under the pretext of guiding the victim safely back to her residence. Instead, he lured her into a dilapidated, abandoned tin-shed house adjacent to the madrasa and subjected her to a violent assault. A passing pedestrian heard muffled cries and commotion coming from the structure. Upon entering the shack to investigate, the pedestrian startled the teenager, who fled the scene immediately. The passer-by rescued the traumatised girl and brought her to her relatives.

Developments following the rescue highlight a troubling systemic issue in rural communities. A group of influential local arbiters (matabbars) swiftly intervened, attempting to suppress the matter entirely through an informal village arbitration. They pressured the family to cover up the crime by proposing a future marriage between the minor victim and the teenage perpetrator. However, the child’s father learned of the assault later that afternoon and rejected the village council’s compromise. He bypassed the local leaders, heading straight to the Kumarkhali Police Station to lodge a written complaint. Law enforcement officially recorded the case by nightfall and dispatched the victim to Kushtia General Hospital for a comprehensive forensic examination.

The victim’s mother expressed her profound grief and anger over the incident. She stated that her daughter was deceitfully led away from a place of learning and abused, and she demanded unwavering legal justice through the court system.

Meanwhile, the suspect remains missing, preventing journalists from obtaining his statement. His mother, reportedly suffering from severe illness, declined to comment on the allegations against her son. Jamal Uddin, the Officer-in-Charge of Kumarkhali Police Station, confirmed that a case has been initiated regarding the assault of the primary school student. He assured the public that multiple police teams are conducting coordinated drives across suspected hideouts, and the authorities expect to apprehend the fleeing teenager shortly.