The stepfather of a teenage girl has given a confessional statement in court in connection with the killing of the girl in Narsingdi’s Madhabdi, which police say was carried out to cover up a gang rape.
Narsingdi Superintendent of Police Abdullah Al Faruk made the claim at a press conference on Saturday afternoon.
He said the girl’s stepfather Ashraf Ali was involved in the killing. According to police, Noor Mohammad, also known as Nura, 28, developed a close relationship with the girl following a romantic connection.
Abdullah Al Faruk said that on the night of February 10, Hazrat Ali, Ebadul, Jaman and Gaffar allegedly gang-raped the girl at Hazrat Ali’s house.
During the investigation, police found that Ashraf Ali took the girl on the night of February 25, claiming he would take her to the house of his colleague Suman.
On the way, Ashraf Ali strangled the girl with a scarf and killed her alone, the police superintendent said.
He was later arrested and taken on remand.
In the same case, the main accused Noor Mohammad, also known as Nura, and Hazrat Ali have also given confessional statements under Section 164 before a court.
According to the complaint filed by the girl’s mother, a group led by Nura took the girl from her stepfather Ashraf Ali on the night of 25 February.
The following morning, police recovered the body from a mustard field in the Kotalirchar Dorikandi area under Madhabdi Police Station with a scarf wrapped around her neck.
Police officials including the Deputy Inspector General and the local Member of Parliament later visited the scene and spoke with the family members.
Relatives claimed the girl had been raped 15 days earlier.
The girl was the daughter from her mother’s first marriage.
She lived with her family in a rented house in the Bilpar area of Madhabdi, while her stepfather’s home is in Barishal. The family belongs to a labourer background.
Police have arrested nine suspects in connection with the case.
A court later granted eight days’ remand for each of the accused.
