Police in the port city of Chittagong have apprehended two men following separate incidents involving the attempted sexual assault of three young girls within a single day. The underlying offences transpired on Friday, 22 May, across the Double Mooring and Baizid Bostami neighbourhoods of Chittagong metropolitan area, prompting immediate law enforcement intervention and the initiation of formal legal proceedings.
Double Mooring incident and public reaction
The first series of events occurred within the jurisdiction of the Double Mooring police station, involving two young girls aged seven and eleven. According to official police accounts, the suspect, identified as 55-year-old Mohammad Ehsan, lured the two minors into a vacant plot of land with the intention of subjecting them to sexual assault.
The situation was intercepted when local residents and bystanders witnessed the actions of the suspect. Members of the public intervened immediately, detaining Mohammad Ehsan at the scene and subjecting him to a physical assault.
Upon receiving notification of the incident, a police detachment arrived at the location to take custody of the suspect. The arrival of the authorities was met with considerable agitation from the local community, who expressed severe grievances regarding the nature of the crime. Law enforcement officers engaged in dialogue with the gathered crowd to de-escalate the volatile situation, eventually pacifying the residents before successfully arresting the suspect and transporting him to the police station.
Following the arrest, formal legal measures were initiated. The mother of one of the victims filed a case as the primary complainant under the stringent provisions of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act at the Double Mooring police station. Investigations confirmed that the accused, Mohammad Ehsan, was employed as a security guard at a residential property in the area.
Baizid Bostami neighbourhood assault
In a separate and distinct occurrence on the same day, a five-year-old girl was targeted in the Baizid Bostami police station area. The suspect in this instance was identified as a neighbour, 42-year-old Mohammad Hasan.
Police reports indicate that Mohammad Hasan attempted to sexually assault the young child after enticing her with the offer of chocolates. Following the incident, the five-year-old victim was transported to the Chittagong Medical College Hospital, where she was admitted to the specialised One-Stop Crisis Centre (OCC) to receive medical evaluation and necessary clinical support.
Abdul Karim, the Officer-in-Charge (OC) of the Baizid Bostami police station, confirmed the apprehension of the suspect. He stated that the neighbour, Mohammad Hasan, had been formally arrested by the police in connection with the attempted assault of the five-year-old child. Furthermore, the Officer-in-Charge verified that a criminal case had been officially registered against the accused under the relevant legal frameworks governing offences against women and children.
Both suspects remain in police custody as law enforcement authorities continue their statutory investigations into the respective incidents. The judicial process will proceed based on the cases filed at the Double Mooring and Baizid Bostami police stations.