2 held over rape of 15-year-old Marma girl in Bandarban

Bandarban Correspondent:

Two men were arrested early Friday in a case filed over raping a fifteen-year-old Marma girl in Baishari union of Bandarban’s Naikhongchhari upazila on the first day of the Moha-Probarona festival, a major religious event of the local Buddhist community.

Police arrested Md Selim, 23, and Motiur Rahman, 25, both from Joint Farm area in Baishari, said Naikhongchhari Police Stattion Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mohammad Mashrurur.

The incident took place around 6:00pm yesterday in the Sadhu Ong Para area under Naikhongchhari Police Station, according to the case filed by the victim’s brother with the police station.

The complainant told that his sister had gone to fetch water from Baishari canal around 5:30pm, when most villagers were busy with preparations for the festival.

“My sister went alone to the canal to collect water and bathe. The two men followed her. Motiur stood guard, while Selim grabbed my sister, dragged her into a bamboo grove, and raped her,” he said.

“My sister has a speech impairment and cannot speak properly. She also doesn’t speak Bangla,” he added.

Noticing her delay in returning home, the family began searching for her. “We found her crying in the bamboo grove near the canal steps. She said Selim had raped her and fled.”

Police also collected the victim’s clothes as evidence, the OC said.

“At 12:25am, the brother and the villagers brought Motiur to the police station, and we registered a case against Selim and Motiur,” said OC Mashrurur.

“During primary interrogation, Motiur confessed to the crime. A raid was launched at 12:30am, and by 1:30am, Selim was arrested from the Joint Farm area,” he added.

A case has been filed under Section 9(1) of the Women and Child Repression Prevention Act. The accused will be presented before the Bandarban Women and Child Repression Prevention Tribunal today, the OC added.