A court in the north-eastern district of Sunamganj has consigned a 30-year-old mosque imam to judicial custody after his arrest in connection with the alleged sexual assault of a local college student under the false promise of marriage.
The accused, identified as Humayun Ahmed, was produced before Senior Judicial Magistrate Mohammad Emdad at the Cognisance Judicial Magistrate Court in Bishwambharpur. Observing the gravity of the allegations, the magistrate ordered that Ahmed be held in prison as police investigations continue. Notably, no defence lawyer stepped forward to represent the cleric or petition for his bail during the proceedings, a circumstance later confirmed by Assistant Sub-Inspector Farid Ahmed, the court’s General Registration Officer.
Case Overview
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Accused: Humayun Ahmed (30), resident of Madhurkandi, Salukabad Union; cleric at a local Jamme mosque.
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Victim: An eleventh-grade college student from Bishwambharpur.
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Charges: Repeated rape following fraudulent promises of marriage, aggravated by armed intimidation.
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Procedural History:
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26 July: Formal complaint lodged by the survivor’s father at the regional tribunal.
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4 August: Suspect located and apprehended at Baghber Bazaar.
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5 August: Court remands the suspect; survivor records formal testimony under Section 22.
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Case records indicate that Ahmed, the son of Ichhab Ali from Madhurkandi village in Salukabad Union, held the position of imam at a local Jamme mosque in Bishwambharpur. Investigators report that he used his standing to cultivate a relationship with the victim, an eleventh-grade college student living nearby. Under the assurance that he intended to marry her, Ahmed allegedly assaulted the young woman multiple times. On at least one occasion, he reportedly brandished a knife to intimidate her into silence.
The situation came to a head when the student repeatedly insisted that Ahmed honour his promise of marriage. Ahmed refused, issuing further threats to deter her from seeking help.
With local resolution out of reach, the survivor’s father filed a petition on 26 July with the Sunamganj Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal. Recognising the prima facie merits of the complaint, the tribunal directed Bishwambharpur Police Station to formally register the case and take decisive action. Police subsequently tracked down and arrested Ahmed in the Baghber Bazaar area.
Following his placement in judicial custody, the survivor appeared before the court to render her formal deposition under Section 22 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, detailing the sequence of events directly to the judicial magistrate. While law enforcement authorities proceed with their investigation, family members and supporters of the cleric have publicly rejected the charges, asserting that the allegations are baseless and calling for his immediate release.
