Police have arrested a 45-year-old man for allegedly raping his 12-year-old step-granddaughter in the Naodapara area of Bheramara municipality on Tuesday.
The accused, identified as Shahabul, is originally from Joypur village in Daulatpur upazila and lived in a rented house in Bheramara.
According to local and police sources, the victim, a fifth-grade madrasa student, had come to visit her maternal grandmother on Monday. The assault occurred on Tuesday afternoon when the grandmother left the house to collect state-subsidized Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) commodities.
Hearing the child’s cries, neighbors rushed to the house, caught the suspect, and handed him over to the authorities after a brief scuffle.
Upon receiving the information, a team from Bheramara Police Station arrived at the scene, took the suspect into custody, and provided him with primary medical treatment for injuries sustained from the agitated crowd.
Additional Superintendent of Police (Bheramara Circle) Delwar Hossain confirmed the arrest. "The suspect confessed to the crime during primary interrogation. He is currently in police custody, and legal proceedings are underway," the police official said.
The victim has been sent to Kushtia General Hospital for a mandatory medical examination, authorities added.
