Failing to endure the shock of being "raped" by her uncle, a 13-year-old schoolgirl took her life in Madhya Charadi village of Barisal's Bakerganj upazila, said the victim's family. 

The dead, Sonia Akthar, daughter of Dulal Khan, was a class-VII student of Sher-e-Bangla Secondary High School.

Victim's elder sister Suraiya Akthar Moni said their family had good relations with their uncle Asad Khan's family.

Quoting her sister, Suraiya, a college student, said on December 27 last year, Asad, 27, asked her sister to go to his house to fry an egg when other members of her family were not home.

When Sonia was busy frying eggs, Asad closed the door, gagged and raped her. After the incident, she returned home and set fire to herself after pouring kerosene on her body, Suraiya said.  

"My younger sister was traumatised by the incident and she committed suicide," she added. 

Victim's father Dulal said Sonia was taken to Barisal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital in a critical condition.

She was moved to Dhaka Medical College Hospital on December 29 for better treatment and she died there on December 31.

Suraiya alleged that Asad's family threatened them over mobile phone to settle the incident outside court.

Asad destroyed her sister's life, she wanted justice, she added.

The victim's family filed a case against four people, including Asad, with Bakerganj Police Station yesterday, said AKM Masuduzzaman, officer-in-charge of the police station, adding that the accused went into hiding. 

Police are trying to arrest the accused, said Humayun Kabir, additional superintendent of Barisal police.