House help 'raped' by employer

A 16-year-old indigenous girl was allegedly raped by her employer in Dhaka's Kalachandpur area yesterday.

The girl's relatives said she came to Dhaka from Jhenaigati upazila of Sherpur in late January. She was employed as a domestic help at the home of an electrician in Kalachandpur.

The alleged rapist raped the girl twice yesterday morning. Knowing the incident, her relatives rescued her and took her to the hospital, the relatives added.

Dr Bilkis Begum, coordinator of the One-Stop Crisis Centre at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, said the girl was admitted to the hospital yesterday evening and would undergo forensic tests today.

Abu Bakar Siddique, officer-in-charge of Gulshan Police Station, said he sent policemen to DMCH after receiving allegation of the rape.

A dyeing factory worker was sent to jail yesterday on charges of raping a 12-year-old girl in Narayanganj.

Lal Chan, a resident of Enayetnagar, was arrested after the girl's mother filed a case accusing him with Siddirganj Police Station.

The 35-year-old man called the girl on Tuesday evening when she was walking past his rented flat.

Since Lal Chan and the girl knew each other, she went inside and allegedly got raped, said Shaheen Pervez, officer-in-charge of the police station.

Lal Chan also threatened the girl not to tell anyone what happened, the OC said, quoting the case statement.

After the girl's mother came home at night and learnt about the incident, she along with some neighbours caught the suspect and beat him up before handing him to police, he said.

He was placed before a Narayanganj court and sent to jail yesterday.

The girl was sent to a hospital, he added.