House torched over rape attempt in Pirojpur

Locals have set fire to an abandoned house of an elderly man who attempted to rape a 30-year-old woman after confining her to the house at Nagarbari in Pirojpur Sadar upazila, reports our local correspondent.

The accused -- Mojibur Rahman alias Benu, 72 -- is from Kathulia village in the upazila.

On Friday afternoon, he forcibly took the woman to the house and kept her confined, said locals.

Sensing the matter, one Tarikul Islam informed the matter to other locals. Later, Benu left the scene locking the door from outside.

"We rescued the woman after breaking open the door," said Tarikul.

Afterwards, agitated locals torched the house at night.

Md Abdus Sobahan, officer-in-charge of Pirojpur Sadar Police Station, said a case in connection with the confinement was filed.

"We are trying to arrest the accused," he said.

Our Chattogram correspondent adds, police arrested a man on charges of molesting a seven-year-old girl and attempting to rape her in Boalkhali upazila on Friday night.

Police arrested Md Didarul Alam, 50, from his residence after the girl's mother filed a case with Boalkhali Police Station, said OC Golam Sarwar.

The girl somehow managed to flee and she informed her mother, who later reported the matter to police on Friday night.

A Chattogram court sent Didarul to jail after police produced him before it yesterday.