Police have arrested a man accused of attempting to rape a third-grade student in Gaibandha Sadar, shortly after he was reportedly released extrajudicially on a written bond.
The suspect, identified as Imran Sarker, 30, was apprehended on Friday night while undergoing treatment at Gaibandha General Hospital. He was being treated for injuries sustained after being caught and beaten by locals following the alleged incident.
According to police sources, the incident took place last Thursday afternoon in the Bishnupur area of Sahapara Union. Imran allegedly lured the young girl into a lychee garden by promising her fruit. When he attempted to assault her, the child’s screams alerted nearby residents, who rushed to the scene.
The locals caught the suspect, administered a mass beating, and subsequently detained him at the Sahapara Union Parishad.
However, controversy arose when locals alleged that the suspect was released on Thursday night. It is claimed that Md Mashiur Rahman Sarker, the Chairman of the Sahapara Union Parishad, facilitated the release in exchange for a written bond, involving several local BNP leaders, a lawyer, and the police.
The matter gained public attention, prompting the victim’s father to formally file a case against Imran Sarker at approximately 10pm on Friday. Following the filing of the case, police moved to arrest the suspect at the hospital.
When questioned regarding the allegations of an extrajudicial release, Chairman Md. Mashiur Rahman Sarker declined to provide details. “I cannot speak on this matter,” he stated. “If I do, you will want to know the names of the BNP leaders and the lawyer, and that will put me in danger”.
In contrast, Abdullah Al Mamun, the Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Gaibandha Sadar Police Station, denied that any such bond-based release occurred. He confirmed that the accused remains under police guard at the hospital and will be produced before the court as soon as he receives a medical discharge.
