A grandfather has been arrested in Lakshmipur on charges of raping his minor granddaughter. The accused, Imamul Haq Hasan (65), was arrested from West Lakshmipur in Dalal Bazar area of Sadar upazila on Saturday night by the Model Police Station police.
Hasan, a tea stall owner in Dalal Bazar, is currently in police custody and is being interrogated. Regarding the incident, his daughter-in-law, Sathi Akhtar, filed a case at the Sadar Model Police Station on Sunday, naming Imamul Haq Hasan as the sole accused.
Sources including police, the victim, and local residents revealed that the accused Hasan had been physically involved with his 15-year-old granddaughter since last winter, using various tactics. Initially, he allegedly abused the teenager after administering sleeping pills and established a physical relationship with her under the false promise of marriage. He also threatened to kill her if she disclosed the incident to anyone.
The matter came to light three days ago when locals caught Hasan red-handed while he was allegedly assaulting the victim in a betel nut garden adjacent to their home in West Lakshmipur of Dalal Bazar Union. Although the issue was supposed to be resolved at a local shalish convened by Union Parishad Chairman Nazrul Islam on Saturday afternoon, Hasan did not appear.
Meanwhile, the victim's family, noticing physical changes in her, conducted an ultrasound test which revealed she was three months pregnant. The fetus was later aborted. As the news spread in the area, Hasan tried to flee but was eventually arrested by the police.
The incident has created widespread unrest in the area, with locals demanding exemplary punishment for the rapist. It is alleged that Hasan tried to suppress the incident by intimidating the victim.
Following the incident, the victim's stepmother, Sathi Akhtar, filed a case under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act at the Sadar Model Police Station on Sunday night. The victim's father, Jewel, who works abroad in Saudi Arabia, has also demanded strict punishment for his father.
Confirming the incident, Abdul Monnaf, the Officer-in-Charge of Lakshmipur Sadar Model Police Station, stated that the accused has been arrested and is in custody, while the victim is under police protection. She will be produced in court on Sunday, and further legal steps will be taken as per the court's order. Local residents have urged the concerned authorities to ensure exemplary punishment for the culprit to prevent the recurrence of such incidents.
