In a significant breakthrough that has transfixed Netrokona’s Kendua upazila, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has apprehended Abdur Rahim, the prime suspect in the brutal sexual assault of a nine-year-old schoolgirl. The fugitive was captured on Thursday evening during a targeted raid on a clandestine hideout in Gazipur. Following his arrest, RAB officials transferred the suspect to the custody of the Kendua Police Station on Friday morning, initiating the formal judicial process.
Table of Contents
The Brutal Assault and Attempted Cover-Up
The harrowing incident occurred on Saturday afternoon when the victim, a year four primary school student, ventured into a local haor (wetland area) to retrieve her family’s cattle. Seizing the opportunity presented by the isolated location, Abdur Rahim cornered and violently assaulted the young girl.
Alarmed by her prolonged absence, the child’s mother went searching for her. Upon reaching a secluded tree line within the wetlands, she spotted Rahim fleeing the scene in haste. There, she discovered her daughter severely injured and bleeding profusely. Fearing social stigma and initially coerced by the gravity of the situation, the traumatised family sought immediate aid from a local village quack and kept the child at home.
The tragedy was further compounded by the insidious intervention of local influential figures. Village arbiters, identified as Abu Taher and Abu Bakkar, actively obstructed the family from seeking legal redress. They attempted to suppress the heinous crime by offering a financial settlement of 50,000 Taka, whilst simultaneously exerting immense psychological pressure on the vulnerable family to maintain silence.
Resistance, Medical Emergency, and Legal Action
Defying the intense intimidation and financial enticements of the village elders, the victim’s family stood firm. On Monday afternoon, the young girl’s physical condition deteriorated sharply, necessitating an emergency admission to the Kendua Upazila Health Complex. As her injuries required specialised care, physicians transferred her to the Netrokona 250-bed District Hospital the following afternoon.
Breaking free from the confinement imposed by the village arbiters, the victim’s father officially filed a rape case at Kendua Police Station on Tuesday, naming Abdur Rahim as the sole accused.
Timeline of Events
| Day and Time | Event Description |
| Saturday (Afternoon) | The nine-year-old girl is assaulted by Abdur Rahim in a secluded haor whilst fetching cattle. |
| Saturday – Sunday | The family administers preliminary home treatment via a village quack due to societal shame and local pressure. |
| Monday (Afternoon) | The victim’s health severely deteriorates; she is admitted to Kendua Upazila Health Complex. The village arbiters flee. |
| Tuesday (Afternoon) | The child is transferred to Netrokona District Hospital. The victim’s father successfully registers a formal police complaint. |
| Thursday (Evening) | RAB conducts a successful sting operation in Gazipur, apprehending the fugitive, Abdur Rahim. |
| Friday (Morning) | The suspect is transferred to Kendua Police Station ahead of his scheduled court arraignment. |
Official Response and Current Status
Speaking with profound anguish, the victim’s father demanded absolute justice:
“I wanted to seek the intervention of the law from the very beginning. However, the arbiters, Abu Taher and Abu Bakkar, effectively kept us under house arrest under the guise of an informal settlement. We vehemently condemn this barbaric act and demand that Rahim be hanged. Furthermore, those who tried to shield this monster must also face justice.”
Following the registration of the criminal case, both complicit village elders evacuated their homes and have since gone into hiding, with their mobile devices switched off.
Mehedi Maksud, the Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Kendua Police Station, confirmed the developments on Friday morning. He stated that Rahim would be produced before the court with a formal petition for police remand to facilitate deeper interrogation. The OC also reassured the public that the young girl has shown positive signs of recovery and has been discharged to her home.
Crucially, the police administration has vowed that strict legal retribution will be meted out against the village arbiters who abused their social standing to suppress the crime and impede justice.