Youth arrested over raping teenager in Kushtia

A 19-year-old man has been arrested on charges of raping a 17-year-old girl in Kushtia's Daulatpur upazila last night (18 July), police said.

The victim's grandmother, Rahela Khatun, filed a rape case at Daulatpur Police Station this morning (19 July), naming Abdullah Al Sadi Mugdha, son of Rafiul Islam of the same area, as the sole accused, confirmed Daulatpur Police Station Officer-in-Charge Khaledur Rahman.

According to the case statement, the incident occurred around 9pm yesterday in the Dharmadhah BGB Camp Para area under Adabaria union. The victim was on her way to the home of her maternal grandfather, Alam Hossain, when Mugdha allegedly abducted her and took her to the bank of the Mathabanga river, where he raped her.

The case statement says Alam Hossain, who was on his way to fishing, witnessed the assault. When he arrived at the scene along with his brother, Abul Hossain, and local residents, the accused fled.

Daulatpur Police Station subsequently launched an operation and arrested Mugdha within hours.

The victim's maternal grandfather, Abul Hossain, alleged that Mugdha's cousin, Siam Hossain, 22, had followed the pair during the abduction and stood guard at the Mathabanga river ghat while the assault was under way.

He further alleged that when Alam Hossain arrived at the scene, both Mugdha and Siam turned on him aggressively.

OC Khaledur Rahman confirmed the arrest to The Business Standard. "We have received allegations that a 17-year-old girl was raped. A person named Mugdha has been detained in connection with the incident. The person named in the complaint has been initially arrested," he said.

He added that preparations were under way to produce the accused before the court, and that the additional allegation regarding a second person acting as lookout would also be investigated.

"Other aspects of the allegation will also be investigated and legal action taken accordingly," he said.