Residents formed a human chain demanding the arrest and exemplary punishment of Mobarak Hossain (26), accused of raping a five-year-old child in the Nikarhata area of Muladuli in Ishwardi upazila, Pabna. The hour-long program was observed on Sunday (November 1) starting at 11:00 AM near the Muladuli Railway Gate area, halting traffic on one side of the road.
The accused, Mobarak, is the son of Chhamer Hossain of the same village. According to local sources, he is involved with Jamaat-e-Islami politics.
Over five hundred students and teachers from local schools and madrasas, along with women, men, and people from various professions, took part in the human chain holding banners and festoons with their demands.
Speakers at the rally stated that the allegation of such a crime against a five-year-old child has sparked outrage and anxiety throughout the area. They demanded the immediate arrest and prosecution of the accused, warning that they would lay siege to Ishwardi Police Station if he is not apprehended within the next 24 hours.
Read next604 Arrested and Detained in Three Months in Ukhia: Over 3 Lakh Yaba Pills and Firearms SeizedDuring the demonstration, participants chanted slogans such as "We demand arrest," "We demand the gallows for the rapist," and "No place for rapists in our Golden Bengal." They urged the administration to take swift and effective measures to ensure justice for the child.
Local sources revealed that the incident took place on October 19, but police have not been able to arrest the suspect since.
Ishwardi Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Asadur Rahman said, "The incident occurred on October 19. Initially, there were attempts to settle the matter through a local arbitration. As no compromise was reached, they came to the police station on October 27. A case has been registered, and necessary legal procedures, including taking the victimized child's testimony under Section 22, have been completed."
The OC added, "Following the incident, the accused was in local custody. Local residents had detained him but later released him. He has not been arrested yet, but police efforts to apprehend him are ongoing."
— Daily Best News Desk • Fearless in the search for truth
Reported by S M Raja, Ishwardi (Pabna) Correspondent • Edited by the Daily Best News desk. Send corrections to [email protected].
