O-level student ‘rape, murder’: Court permits drug test on Dihan

A Dhaka court on Wednesday permitted police to conduct a drug test on Fardin Iftekhar Dihan, the lone accused in a case filed over the rape and alleged murder of an O-level student in Kalabagan area of the city.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Court Judge Begum Yeasmin Ara passed the order after Investigation Officer (IO) AFM Asaduzzaman sought permission in this regard.

The IO said the drug test is necessary to learn whether the suspect had used any stimulating drug while committing the crime.

"We need experts' opinions after testing Dihan's blood samples," he said.

On January 9, Law enforcers released three youths after interrogation over the matter. The victim was "sexually assaulted" and "killed" on January 7 in Kalabagan.

Police arrested her alleged boyfriend Dihan and three of his friends.

The victim had gone to a friend's house in Kalabagan for group study, family sources said.

Her father filed a case against Dihan on Thursday night, accusing him of sexually assaulting and then murdering her.

Dihan, who is alleged to have raped and killed her at his family flat in Kalabagan, gave a confessional statement before a Dhaka court on Friday.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Mamunur Rashid recorded the statement and sent him to jail pending further hearing, according to an officer of Kalabagan Police Station.

The court fixed Jan 26 for the next hearing.

Meanwhile, doctors performing the autopsy on the victim found evidence of rape.

After completing the autopsy on Friday, Dr Sohail Mahmud, head of the forensic department at Dhaka Medical College, said she died due to excessive bleeding in her vaginal and anal areas.

Samples were also collected for DNA profiling and to determine whether any anesthetic drug was administered to her.

Dr Sohail added that the exact cause of death could only be confirmed once the autopsy report is out.