A thirty-five-year-old man, identified as Shariful Islam, also known locally as Ayub, has been arrested by the police in the Patiya upazila of Chittagong district on charges of sexually assaulting a fifth-grade schoolgirl. The law enforcement operation was executed on Sunday morning, 24 May 2026, within the Budhpura Maizpara area, situated in the 1st ward of the Kashiaish union.
The state security apparatus intervened rapidly following alerts from local residents who witnessed the closing stages of the illicit encounter. The suspect was intercepted and placed under formal administrative detention at approximately 9:30 am near the Budhpura Bazar area, bringing a swift conclusion to the field pursuit.
Details of the Incident and Community Response
According to verified statements provided by the responding officers and local community representatives, the physical assault occurred early on Sunday morning. The victim, a young female student enrolled in class five at a local primary institution, was walking unaccompanied along a public thoroughfare when she was intercepted by the accused.
Shariful Islam allegedly exploited the isolation of the stretch of road to subject the child to physical and sexual harassment. The non-consensual encounter was noticed by nearby residents and pedestrians who recognized the nature of the disturbance and immediately moved to protect the minor while simultaneously contacting the emergency services at the regional police command.
Rapid Law Enforcement Deployment and Apprehension
Upon receiving the emergency communication from the citizens of Kashiaish union, tactical teams from the Patiya Police Station were dispatched to secure the perimeter. The timeline of the police response and subsequent judicial transition followed a precise sequence of administrative steps:
08:30 am: The sexual assault incident is observed by local residents, who immediately alert the Patiya police command.
09:30 am: Following a concentrated area sweep, police officers successfully locate and arrest Shariful Islam near Budhpura Bazar.
12:00 pm: The police complete the initial documentation and formally present the accused before the judicial magistrate.
Confirming the details of the operation, the Officer-in-Charge (OC) of the Patiya Police Station, Mohammad Ziaul Haque, highlighted the efficiency of his officers. He noted that the operational team managed to track down, identify, and apprehend the suspect within exactly one hour of receiving the initial distress call from the public.
“Upon being notified of the crime, our team executed a targeted raid and secured the suspect within sixty minutes,” Officer-in-Charge Mohammad Ziaul Haque stated to reporters. “The police administration maintains a policy of absolute zero tolerance regarding any form of child abuse or exploitation. We will not tolerate these actions under any circumstances, and our primary institutional objective remains the absolute preservation of security for minors.”
Legal Charges and Demands for Increased Protection
Following his arrival at the police station under custody, a formal case was registered against Shariful Islam under the strict statutory provisions of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act. During the midday sessions on Sunday, the police escorted the accused to the relevant judicial court premises, where the magistrate ordered him to be remanded to central prison custody pending deeper investigation. The Patiya police division has formally indicated that investigators will submit a comprehensive remand application to the court to allow for custodial interrogation of the suspect.
The local community, including regional schoolteachers and guardians, have publicised their profound anxiety regarding the vulnerability of school-going children in rural wards. Representatives from local educational boards have called upon the Chittagong district administration to deploy regular foot patrols and establish enhanced surveillance networks around rural school routes during morning and afternoon transit hours to deter potential offenders and guarantee a secure environment for students.