The idyllic, golden mustard fields of Narsingdi have become the site of a profound national tragedy, highlighting a harrowing intersection of gender-based violence and the systemic failure of local mediation. A 15-year-old girl, whose family sought redress for a horrific gang rape, was allegedly abducted and murdered in the Mahishashura Union of Narsingdi Sadar. Her body was recovered on Thursday afternoon, igniting a firestorm of grief and public indignation across the region.
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A Prelude of Brutality
The victim’s family, led by a father who laboured in a local textile mill, had lived a quiet, modest life in a rented house within the Mahishashura Union for several years. This fragile peace was shattered approximately a fortnight ago. According to harrowing accounts from the family, a local youth known as Noora, accompanied by a gang of five or six accomplices, intercepted the teenager as she returned home.
The assailants reportedly muffled her screams and dragged her to a secluded location where she was subjected to a barbaric gang rape. In the aftermath of such trauma, the family found themselves at a crossroads: whether to seek the protection of the law or follow the traditional path of local arbitration. Unfortunately, their choice to engage with local leadership proved to be a fatal miscalculation.
The Fatal Failure of Local Mediation
Seeking justice, the family approached Ahmadullah, a former member of Ward 9 of the Mahishashura Union Parishad. However, instead of facilitating a formal police complaint, the former representative allegedly attempted to “settle” the matter through informal arbitration, a practice known locally as Salish.
The family claims they were pressured to accept a compromise and were even advised to vacate the area for their own safety. This culture of informal settlement—frequently used to shield influential perpetrators—only served to embolden the attackers. Infuriated that the family had dared to speak out, Noora and his associates began a campaign of intimidation, leaving the family in a state of constant terror.
The Abduction and a Father’s Despair
By Wednesday night, the sense of impending doom became unbearable. Fearing for his daughter’s life, the father decided to move her to the relative safety of her aunt’s residence. At approximately 8:00 PM, while traversing the Bilpar area, they were ambushed by Noora and six other men.
In a scene of unimaginable cruelty, the group overpowered the father. Despite his desperate struggle to protect his child, the men forcibly snatched the girl away and vanished into the darkness. The family spent a frantic night searching various locations, but their worst fears were realised the following morning.
A Grim Discovery and Investigation
At roughly 9:30 AM on Thursday, villagers stumbled upon a lifeless body in a mustard field situated between the villages of Bilpar and Darikandi. Upon notification, the Madhabdi Police arrived at the scene to recover the remains. Following a preliminary inquest, the body was transported to the Narsingdi Sadar Hospital morgue for a post-mortem examination.
The Cry for Accountability
Kamal Hossain, the Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Madhabdi Police Station, stated that the murder appears to be a direct act of retaliation for the family’s pursuit of justice. “We are treating this with the utmost priority. Operations are ongoing to apprehend those involved,” he confirmed. He also issued a stern warning that heinous crimes like rape must never be settled locally but reported directly to the authorities.
Legal experts have noted that under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act, rape is a non-compoundable offence, meaning it cannot be legally settled through mediation. This tragedy serves as a grim reminder that when local power structures bypass the judiciary, it is the most vulnerable who pay the ultimate price.
The primary suspects, including Noora and the former UP member Ahmadullah, remain at large. As the community mourns, the demand for a swift, transparent investigation grows louder, with many calling for exemplary punishment to ensure such a failure of justice never recurs.