An influential local man has been accused of attempting to rape a 9-year-old girl in Noakhali. It has also been alleged that the matter was ‘settled’ in a mediation under the supervision of an influential leader and his followers in exchange for 10 lashes, slaps and Tk 3 lakh, instead of filing a complaint with the police.
The arbitration was conducted on Tuesday (July 15) afternoon. Meanwhile, after the incident came to light, widespread anger has arisen in the area. Many have expressed their anger on social media.Local residents alleged that accused, while going to fetch his granddaughter from the local Madrasa, found the victim alone and gave her 20 taka. Then, when he tried to rape her, the girl ran home screaming and told her mother about the matter. Immediately after the incident, when the child’s family sought legal assistance, a local political leader reportedly advised them against approaching the police. Later, he organized a mediation with several community members, where the incident was allegedly ‘settled’ in exchange for 10 lashes, slaps, and a cash payment of Tk 3 lakh.A political leader present at the arbitration, who wished to remain anonymous, said that a prominent local businessman, known for leveraging community disputes for personal gain, led the mediation.
The panel was chaired by another political figure, along with a local religious leader, an imam, and a madrasa teacher. Since then, a heavy silence has fallen over the area—no one is willing to speak out.In this regard, the accused said, “I am being oppressed. A false accusation has been imposed on me, leading to social humiliation. The allegation is completely false and baseless. I am mentally ill and have come outside Noakhali for treatment. That local leader arranged the arbitration on his own without informing anyone. He had no right to do this.”
The accused man’s wife said, “My husband is currently admitted to CMH Hospital. He has been falsely accused in a planned way. He usually rests in the afternoon, and that day he was called by a local leader, so I woke him up and sent him. I didn’t mention this to anyone at first. Now he’s suffering from severe pain and has injury marks on his body. If he was guilty, people in our community would have said so—but why was he beaten? He even vomited from the injuries.”Meanwhile, the local political leader accused of arranging the arbitration denied the allegation, claiming that no such meeting or incident took place in the area.However, the local union panel chairman confirmed the mediation, stating that the child was lured with a small amount of money and this was presented during the arbitration. He added that a settlement of 3 lakh taka and 10 lashes was agreed upon.
A local religious leader also admitted to being present at the meeting, saying he was called to sit in the arbitration but claimed to know little about the details.
In this regard, the officer-in-charge of the local police station said, “We have not yet received any complaint from the victim’s family. If a complaint is filed, legal action will certainly be taken.”
