Chhatra Dal Leader Arrested Over Alleged Rape in Jashore

A senior student political activist has been taken into police custody in Chowgacha, Jashore, following allegations of raping a 12th-grade student under the guise of helping her secure a National Identity (NID) card.

The accused, 22-year-old Arafat Hossain Rabbi, serves as the Senior Joint General Secretary of the Chowgacha Government College unit of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD), the student wing of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party.

According to the official First Information Report (FIR) lodged with the police, the victim, a higher secondary student, had sought assistance from Rabbi, who is both a neighbour and a maternal cousin, regarding administrative work for her NID registration. Exploiting her trust, Rabbi persuaded her to travel to Chowgacha town at around 9:30 am on Saturday. He did so despite knowing that the local Upazila Election Office was closed due to the weekend holiday.

Police stated that the suspect misled the victim with various excuses before luring her to an acquaintance’s house within the Chowgacha municipal area. Once inside the premises, he reportedly subjected her to physical abuse and sexual assault.

Following the ordeal, the distressed student returned home and revealed the incident to her parents. Her family acted immediately by escorting her to the local police station to file a formal written complaint.

In response to the gravity of the allegations, a police team led by Sub-Inspector (SI) Abdus Sattar launched a targeted operation, apprehending Rabbi at approximately 9:00 pm on Saturday evening.

Confirming the arrest, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Chowgacha Police Station, Mamunur Rashid, stated that law enforcement acted swiftly upon receiving the family’s written complaint. He added that the suspect is scheduled to be produced before the Jashore District Court on Sunday, while medical examinations for the victim and further formal investigative steps remain underway in accordance with statutory protocols governing violence against women.

In Bangladesh, the National Identity card issued by the Election Commission is an indispensable document for citizens reaching adulthood, required for university admissions, banking services, and official documentation. Local political figures often serve as informal facilitators for youth navigating these bureaucratic processes, a position of trust that was allegedly breached in this instance.