Students form a human chain in front of Ghatail upazila parishad complex in Tangail district yesterday demanding punishment of the criminals who raped a 13-year-old schoolgirl in the upaizla on April 16. Photo: Star

Students of different schools and colleges and rights activists formed a human chain in front of Ghatail Upazila Parishad office in the district yesterday, demanding capital punishment to the rapists of a 13-year-old schoolgirl.

They aloso blocked Tangail-Mymensingh Road at Ghatail Bus Stand for about 10 minutes and held a rally there.

Addressing the rally, the speakers said the seventh grader of Ratanpur village along with her mother went to a baishakhi fair on Ratanpur Government Primary School premises on April 16.

When she was returning alone from the fair in the evening, the accused picked up the girl from a local Eidgah field and raped her.
On Sunday, the victim's sister-in-law informed Rapid Action Battalion (Rab-3) about the matter.

Rab personnel then raided the village on Sunday night and arrested 10 people in this connection.

The arrestees are Jahangir Alam, 19, Azharul Islam, 25, Mohammad Sabuj, 20, Shariful Islam, 20, Rezaul Bappi, 18, Sirajul Shuvo, 20, Harun-ur-Rashid, 20, Mohammad Arif Hossain, 19, Masum Miah, 25, and Jihad Hossain, 19, of the area.

Principal of Ghatail GBG College Shamsul Alam Moni, convener of the local citizens' body Julfiqar Haider, upazila parishad vice chairman Kaniz Fatema, chairman of Jamuria Union Parishad Shahidul Islam Khan, rights activists Nasrin Jahan Beauty, Jebunnesa Chaina, Emdad Khan and Khademul Islam Khan, among others, spoke.

On Monday, the victim's mother filed a case with Ghatail Police Station, accusing 11 people, including the arrestees, said Mokhlesur Rahman, officer-in-charge of the PS.

The arrestees were later produced in a court that sent them to jail, the OC said, adding that police are raiding different areas to arrest another accused, Belal Hossain.