Police have arrested a local grocery shop owner in Debhata Upazila on charges of repeatedly raping a ninth-grade student and blackmailing her with a mobile phone video of the assaults.
The arrest came after the victim’s mother filed a formal complaint with the police station on Friday night.
The accused, Mostafizur Rahman (34), is the son of Shafiqul Islam of Char Sripur village in the upazila. He was produced before a local court on Saturday afternoon, which ordered him to be sent to jail custody.
According to the case statement, the incident that led to his detention occurred on Friday at approximately 12:30pm.
The victim, a student at a local high school, went to the accused’s grocery store to buy food items. Taking advantage of the location being relatively deserted, Mostafizur allegedly attempted to coerce her into a physical relationship by promising marriage. When she refused, he forcibly dragged her inside the shop and violated her, the complaint states.
Local residents rushed to the spot after hearing the girl’s screams. They rescued her and detained the accused inside the shop until law enforcement arrived to take him into custody.
However, the victim’s mother has alleged that this was not an isolated event. In her statement, she claimed that Mostafizur had previously exploited the teenager on multiple occasions at different locations under the false pretense of marriage. She further revealed that the accused had been blackmailing her daughter for an extended period, threatening to circulate a compromising video of the assaults he had recorded on his mobile phone if she spoke out.
Officials at the Debhata Police Station confirmed that the case has been filed under the relevant sections of the law regarding rape and intimidation. Police are currently investigating the allegations, including the claims of prior assaults and digital blackmail.
