Fifth grader 'gang-raped' in Manikganj

A primary school student was gang-raped in Ghior upazila when she was attending a puja on Tuesday night.

The victim's brother said his sister is a student of class five at a school in Manikganj town. She went to a relative's house in Kalta village in Ghior with her father to celebrate the puja.

Locals said Johnny, 20, son of Jasim Mia of the village, called her to a nearby field from the puja venue around 8:00pm and allegedly raped her there. Later, Rubel, 26, son of Bablu Mia, and Shahidul Islam, 25, son of Yad Ali, of the same village also allegedly raped her.

Immediate after the incident, Yunus, Rafiq and Shahjahan, residents of the area, caught the alleged rapists, but they were released later.

Sources said the family members of the alleged rapists and local Union Parishad member Majibur Rahman were allegedly putting pressure on the victim's father not to file a case. They even offered her father Tk 1 lakh for a mutual compromise, the sources added.

The victim's brother, however, on Thursday night filed a case with Ghior police accusing the three youths.

Contacted, the member of Ward No. 3 of Nali Union Parishad acknowledged his initiative to compromise. He tried to mutually settle the matter because of the victim's religion and tender age, the member argued.

Additional Superintendent of Police (Shibalaya Circle) Mahabubur Rahman admitted that a rape case was filed in Ghior against three youths on Thursday night.

He said a medical test of the victim was done at Manikganj Sadar Hospital and she would be sent a magistrate's court for recording her statement. They are trying to arrest the culprits, he added.