Five people, including a Union BNP leader, have been arrested in Narsingdi in connection with the abduction, rape, and murder of a teenage girl whose father had sought justice for her.
The arrests were made on Thursday night (February 26) during raids across various areas of the upazila. Those arrested are Ahmmad Ali Dewan, his son Md Imran Dewan, 32, Ebadhullah, 40, son of the late Sahabuddin, Md Ayub, 30, son of Md Azgar Ali, and Gaffar, 34, son of the late Mojibur from Hossain Bazar area.
Local sources said that Ahmmad Ali Dewan, the Union BNP vice president of Mohishashura, had previously been involved in Awami League politics.
Family members of the victim and locals reported that the girl’s father, a resident of Barisal, was living in Madhabdi’s Bilpara area with his wife and daughter on rent due to work. About 15 days ago, a gang of five to six men led by a local rowdy named Nura abducted the girl from the area and raped her.
After the assault, the family approached Ahmmad Ali Dewan, seeking justice. Reportedly, the rapists and their accomplices tried to settle the matter with a substantial sum of money. When the family refused, they were pressured to leave the village.
On Wednesday night, while the girl’s father was taking her to her maternal aunt’s house after work, Nura and five others abducted the girl again near Boraitola. Despite searching for her, the family could not locate her. On Thursday afternoon, locals discovered the girl’s body in a mustard field in the same area, with her scarf tied around her neck. Police later recovered the body.
Madhabdi Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md Kamal Hossain stated that nine individuals had been named in the rape case, and four have been arrested so far. Efforts are ongoing to apprehend the remaining suspects.
Khairul Kabir Khokon, Joint Secretary General of BNP and newly elected MP of Narsingdi Sadar, said, “Our stance is zero tolerance for all criminals, including rapists and murderers. No criminal should be spared, regardless of their political affiliation.”