Minor madrasa student pregnant after repeated rape under threat, Jamaat worker arrested

District Correspondent

Police have arrested a Jamaat activist named Jamal Uddin (45) on charges of raping and kidnapping a minor madrasa student in Tentulia upazila of Panchagarh.

He was sent to prison through the court after completing the legal process on Sunday afternoon, September 21st.

Earlier, on Saturday night, the victim’s grandmother filed a case with Tentulia Model Police Station, and a raid was conducted at the accused’s house in Tirnoihat Union of the upazila that night and the Jamaat worker was arrested. In addition to Jamal Uddin, three other people have been named as accused in the complaint.

The arrested Jamal Uddin is the son of Ali Hossain of that area.

Locals said that after August 5, Jamal Uddin established a reign of terror in the area. He started atrocities, terror, extortion and encroachment on Awami League leaders and activists. Along with Jamaat-e-Islami politics, he served as the treasurer of Thunthunia Mosque.

Locals said that the mosque committee expelled him from the mosque’s responsibilities after the rape and kidnapping incident.

According to the complaint, the student had been living with her maternal grandmother since her mother’s death in childhood. She studied at a local madrasa. On the morning of January 17, the student went to the house of accused Jamal Uddin to get chicken meat kept in the refrigerator. Since no one else was home at that time, Jamal made a sexual proposal to the student. When she refused, Jamal got angry and forcibly raped the student.

Later, Jamal, using this kind of intimidation, raped her several more times. At one point, the girl became pregnant. A court hearing was held in the village over the incident.

The case further states that although the accused Jamal Uddin admitted responsibility for the incident, he later tried to cover up the incident with the help of his wife and brother, along with other accused. On the morning of June 14, the victim was forcibly taken away in a microbus. However, the family rescued him after promising to settle the matter.

When the student’s grandmother filed a case after not getting justice in the incident, the police arrested the accused that night.

Samij Uddin, an elder of the area, said that Jamal has established a reign of terror in the area by showing the influence of Jamaat-e-Islami. Because of him, mothers, sisters and daughters of the area are suffering from insecurity.

Tentulia Model Police Station OC Musa Mia said that the accused Jamal Uddin has been arrested and sent to jail through the court.

When I called the mobile phone of the district Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Iqbal Hossain to inquire about this matter, he did not answer.