Rape suspect killed in ‘gunfight’

A suspected rapist of a schoolgirl was killed in a "gunfight' between Rab and a "drug-peddling gang" in Rajshahi's Puthia upazila early yesterday.

The dead, Ekhlas Uddin, 32, was from Holholia village in the same upazila, the Rab-5 said in a press release.

Ekhlas was accused of raping her sister-in-law Eva Khatun, a schoolgirl, who later died by suicide.

His family, however, claimed that law enforcers had picked him up from Narayangan's Fatulla area on July 4.

The elite force said the "gunfight" broke out in Peergachha village of the upazila around 3:45am when a Rab-5 team was conducting a special anti-drug drive there.

Sensing the presence of law enforcers, the "drug-peddling gang" opened fire on the Rab men.

After about 10-15 minutes, the Rab team found an unidentified "drug peddler" lying injured there. He was taken to Puthia Upazila Health Complex, where doctors declared him dead around 5:00am.

Locals later identified the dead as Ekhlas, said the release.

Ekhlas allegedly raped Eva, 12, a sixth grader, on January 25 by mixing sedatives in her food when she went to his house to visit her sister, according to Puthia police.

Eva had been keeping mum since then. She returned home the next day.

The schoolgirl died by suicide on April 9.

Her father Selim Uddin filed a case with Puthia Police Station over the rape and death, accusing Ekhlas, his father Abdul Kashem and mother Jarina Begum.

A rickshaw-puller from Ramjibanpur village in Puthia, Selim Uddin said he had been demanding justice for her daughter since her death.

On June 10, he alone stood on a road in Puthia upazila with a banner demanding arrest and exemplary punishment to the accused over the rape and death of her daughter.

Ekhlas's uncle Zinnat Ali said law enforcers picked up his nephew from Narayangan's Fatulla area on July 4.

He had been missing since then, Zinnat said, adding that he knew Ekhlas to be a rickshaw-puller.