Schoolgirl escapes alleged rape attempt in Ramgati; Senior Citizen in custody
NN Online :
72-year-old man has been detained by police in Ramgati upazila of Lakshmipur for allegedly attempting to rape a 10-year-old school girl. The incident took place around 11:30 AM on Thursday in Char Neamat village under the Char Algi Union.
The accused, Md Bahar, son of late Serajul Haque, allegedly abducted the fourth-grade student while she was on her way to school and took her to a local poultry farm owned by one Mojibur Rahman. According to eyewitnesses, he attempted to sexually assault the child inside the farm premises.
A local boy named Swapon, who witnessed the incident, quickly alerted his friends Siam and Mahfuz. The group of children then approached the scene, prompting the elderly man to release the victim. Bahar reportedly tried to bribe the children with Tk 50 each to remain silent and threatened the girl to prevent her from disclosing the incident.
Following the incident, the accused took refuge inside a nearby mosque. Meanwhile, the traumatized child returned home and narrated the incident to her mother. The children who witnessed the event also informed local residents.
Around noon, an angry mob located Bahar, dragged him out of the mosque, and physically assaulted him. Locals also placed a garland of shoes around his neck before handing him over to police.
Ramgati Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md Kabir Hossain confirmed the detention and said legal action is underway. “The accused attempted to assault the child and was caught by locals. The family is preparing to file a case,” the OC told The New Nation.
The victim’s family alleged that Bahar had previously harassed the child on multiple occasions. They also claimed that about a year ago, he was caught attempting to molest another child in an abandoned house, but locals forgave him due to his age.
This is the third reported attempted rape case involving minors in Ramgati upazila in the last four days, raising serious concerns about child safety and local law enforcement.