An agitated mob has razed the house of Mostafa Kamal, prime accused in the rape and murder of 10-year-old schoolgirl Kamrunnahar Koli and is now looting soil from the homestead in Kulonia village under Pabna Sadar Upazila.
The act of digging up and carrying away earth after pulling down the structure has created widespread discussion across the area, while the victim’s family members have raised questions regarding the role of police.
Structure flattened into rubble
The demolition of the house commenced following Jummah prayers on Friday, 18 September, and continued until Saturday.
A visit to the spot on Saturday afternoon revealed that the two-storey building had been completely flattened into a heap of rubble, leaving no trace that a house once stood there.
Local residents reported that even the reinforcement iron rods from the foundation beneath the ground were cut and carried away, whilst bricks and sand were loaded onto vehicles and sold elsewhere.
Salim Pramanik, a labourer hired to remove the earth, said that they tore down the house as a punishment for the sin committed by Mostafa. He explained that they were using the soil on roads and for household purposes, adding that they would excavate a pond on the property.
Rubel Hasan, a resident of Madhpur in Ataikula who took part in the demolition, said no remnant of the rapist and murderer Mostafa’s residence would be allowed to remain.
He said not a brick or even a grain of sand would be left behind, noting that a pond would be dug as an enduring example of the fate awaiting a rapist.
Family frustration over delay
Meanwhile, with the demolition reaching its final phase, relatives of the deceased child expressed deep frustration and anger over the failure of the police to conclude the investigation and submit the charge sheet.
The victim’s grandfather, Abdus Sobhan, said the charge sheet should have been submitted by now and described the delay as apparent negligence by the administration. He demanded a prompt conclusion to the investigation so that subsequent legal proceedings could move forward.
Another relative, Ramzan Ali, said the two-storey residence had been torn down bit by bit until nothing remained, yet they heard the case paperwork was still incomplete.
He said the trial ought to have commenced by now, stressing that the rape of a child must not be traded for money, and called on the police administration to discharge their duties with sincerity.
When asked about the situation, Abdus Salam, officer-in-charge (OC) of the Pabna District Police Detective Branch (DB), said progress was being made in the investigation.
The officer-in-charge noted that the forensic report had reportedly reached the hospital and that the police would submit the charge sheet shortly, maintaining that there was no room for negligence in the child Koli rape and murder case.
Grisly crime and cover-up
Kamrunnahar Koli, a third-grade student, went missing from her residence after dusk on 9 September. Seven days later, on the morning of 16 September, her body was recovered stuffed inside a sack from a ditch near her home in Kulonia village.
The police arrested neighbour Mostafa Kamal and his tenant Yasin Ali over the incident.
According to the police, Koli was raped and suffocated to death in a room behind Mostafa’s shop after Maghrib prayers on 9 September, and her body was subsequently bagged and dumped into the ditch.
The police further disclosed that the accused had taken part in searching for the missing girl to cover up their crime.
Investigators claimed that Mostafa confessed to the rape and murder during remand, whereas Yasin denied participating in the rape or murder but admitted to assisting afterwards.
Evidence gathered from the crime scene has been sent to the forensic department, and a formal report will be submitted before the court once the forensic findings are received.
