Stalked, schoolgirl takes her own life

A 15-year-old schoolgirl has allegedly died by suicide following harassment by a stalker in Pirojpur’s Bhandaria upazila. 

Police detained the alleged stalker yesterday. 

The girl, Rukaiya Rupa, was a class-X student (Humanities) of Bandar Government Girls’ High School. Her father Ruhul Munshi runs a small food shop in Bhandaria. 

Ruhul said a 19-year-old youth from Bhandaria village used to stalk his daughter on her way to and from school. The youth proposed to her several times, but the girl turned it down every time.  

Students of Bhandaria Government Bandar Girls’ High School form a human chain in Bhandaria town yesterday demanding exemplary punishment of the stalker responsible for the death of their classmate. Photo: collected

Recently, the youth allegedly circulated a fake indecent photo of the victim to some social media accounts using a messaging app, he said. 

On Friday afternoon, the stalker stopped her while she was returning home after her coaching classes and gave her the same proposal, which she rejected again. At this, the youth threatened that he would spread the photo to other social media users, Ruhul alleged. 

 Coming home, Rupa told her mother about the incident and later went to her room. Returning from work, Ruhul found Rupa’s room locked from inside. He knocked the door several times and got no response. At one point, he broke the door and found Rupa lying on the floor unconscious, he said.  

She was first rushed to Bhandaria upazila health complex and then to Barishal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital where she was declared dead, Ruhul said. 

After the news spread, students of Rupa’s school, their guardians and teachers formed a human chain in Bhandaria town, demanding the immediate arrest of the stalker. 

Later in the day, police detained the youth in the same village, Hyatul Islam Khan, superintendent of police in the district, told The Daily Star.  

“We will take further action on receiving the allegation in writing,” he said, adding, “We’re investigating.” 

He also said the body was sent for autopsy. 

Two cases -- one for provoking suicide and the other for spreading the photo online -- would be filed, the SP added.