Prime suspect arrested over teen girl’s rape, murder in Narsingdi

Police on Friday night arrested prime suspect Noora, and one of his associates in a case over the rape and murder of a 15-year-old girl in Narsingdi.

Noora was arrested from Gazipur’s Mawna area, confirmed Narsingdi Police Superintendent Md Abdullah Al Faruk. The other arrestee, Hazrat Ali, was held from Gauripur area in Mymensingh.

Within 24 hours, seven, including the prime suspect, of the nine accused in the case have been arrested. The case was filed Thursday night, said Madhabdi Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md Kamal Hossain.

The list of arrestees also include Ahammad Ali Dewan, 65, who was BNP’s vice-president at Mahishashoor Union branch, until the party expelled him on Friday. He is also a former union parishad member.

Earlier on Wednesday night, local goons snatched the teenage girl from her father’s custody during an outdoor trip, and killed her –days after the family had sought justice against the culprits for raping the minor in an earlier assault.

The abduction happened at Bilpar area of Sadar upazila of Narsingdi district, and locals spotted the body in a mustard field in the area on Thursday morning.

The family of four lives at a rented house in the upazila, and the father works at a textile factory.

Locals and police said that the teenage girl used to speak with prime suspect and local goon Noora. On 10 February, while she was returning to the family’s rented house, Noora and his five compatriots forcibly took her to an undisclosed location and raped her.

The family sought the intervention of local BNP leader Ahmmad Ali Dewan to ensure justice for the assault.

The former UP member assured them of “settling” the issue, but urged them to leave the area following the “settlement.” The family agreed to leave the area after 1 March. However, even after agreeing to meet the demand, justice remained elusive.

On Wednesday night, the father was taking his daughter to a safe recluse at her maternal aunt’s house fearing reprisal from the rapists. Midway in the Bilpar area the culprits spotted the two, and snatched the girl from the father. She was subsequently raped for the second time and killed.