Child, teenager allegedly raped by stepfathers in Ashulia; 1 arrested

Two stepfathers have been accused of raping a 10-year-old child and a 14-year-old girl in two separate incidents in Dhaka's Ashulia.

According to police, separate cases have been filed with the Ashulia Police Station by the mothers of the two girls yesterday and today (13 March), respectively.

Confirming the matter today, the station's Inspector Md Kamal Hossain told The Business Standard that after filing the cases, the girls have been sent to the One-Stop Crisis Centre at Dhaka Medical College Hospital for medical examinations.

"One of the accused has been arrested, and police are working to arrest the other," he added.

In the case filed yesterday, the mother of the child stated that on the night of 9 March, her second husband tricked her into taking sleeping pills and then forcibly raped her 10-year-old daughter. When she, along with the child's aunt and others, rushed to the scene upon hearing the child's screams, the accused stepfather locked himself in the bedroom and fled the house the next morning.

In another case document, the mother of the teenager said on the night of 15 February, while she was in the toilet, her second husband forcibly raped her 14-year-old daughter.

According to locals, however, yesterday, after an argument with her husband, neighbours questioned him, and he eventually confessed to raping the teenager.

Enraged neighbours then held the accused and handed him over to the police.

The mother also mentioned in the case that the accused had first raped the teenager a year ago.