A grave criminal allegation involving the sexual assault of a 12-year-old child in Shariatpur’s Zanjira Upazila has sparked intense local outrage, particularly after influential community figures allegedly suppressed the matter through an informal arbitration meeting. The primary suspect, 50-year-old Ilias Khan, reportedly carried out the assault, whilst local community leaders, including a prominent figure from Jamaat-e-Islami, spearheaded negotiations to cover up the crime in exchange for a financial settlement of 100,000 Bangladeshi Taka.
The distressing incident unfolded in Joynagar Union. According to sources close to the victim’s family, the young boy was lured and intimidated on the evening of Thursday, 6 August, at around 8:00 pm. He was taken to the second floor of a newly constructed building at Joynagar Aytunnesa Government Primary School, where the assault took place under the cover of darkness.
Once the child recounted the trauma to his family, news of the atrocity spread across the village. However, rather than seeking immediate legal recourse, local figures intervened. Maulana Md. Selim, a leader associated with Jamaat-e-Islami, alongside another influential local resident named Mannan Shikder, orchestrated multiple arbitration attempts to quieten the victim’s family. Initially, the victim’s father stood firm, demanding strict justice and refusing to succumb to informal settlements, which delayed the arbitral proceedings for several days.
Pressure mounted continuously on the aggrieved family. On the evening of Wednesday, 12 August, an arbitration council, locally known as a salish, was convened at the grounds of Joynagar Moslem Uddin Khan Degree College. Surrounded by influential village elders, the victim’s father was compelled to accept 100,000 Taka and sign a written agreement promising not to file a police case.
“I never wanted financial compensation; I demanded genuine justice for my child,” the father later revealed. “I was forced to sign the document only after facing relentless pressure from local elders and my own relatives.”
The illegal arbitration of a non-compoundable criminal offence has ignited fierce criticism among local residents and human rights advocates, who argue that settling such severe crimes outside the legal framework breeds impunity.
When questioned about his role in the cover-up, Maulana Md. Selim defended the assembly, stating, “I did not act alone. Ilias Khan is regarded as a respected figure in our community, so local dignitaries joined together to resolve the matter peacefully.” The co-organiser, Mannan Shikder, could not be reached as he was absent from his residence.
Law enforcement authorities have since intervened. Saleh Ahmed, the Officer-in-Charge of Zanjira Police Station, confirmed that whilst no formal written complaint had been lodged initially, officers were dispatched to the scene after reports surfaced on social media. He assured that a thorough investigation is underway, and strict legal action will be taken against anyone found complicit in the crime or its unlawful suppression.
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