Rape of schoolgirl in Kurigram: human chain demands arrest of culprits

Locals of Kurigram's Rajarhat upazila formed a human chain today demanding arrest and punishment of the criminals involved in raping a 14-year-old schoolgirl after confining her parents.

They also blocked the Rangpur-Kurigram highway in Chhinai area from 10:00am to 1:00pm, halting traffic movement for three hours, reports our Lalmonirhat correspondent.

The gathered locals also gave a 24-hr ultimatum to the police to arrest the culprits and threatened tougher programmes if they fail to do so, said Nizamul Islam Nizam, assistant professor of the bangla department of Kanthalbari Degree College.

Teachers and students from different colleges and schools, and relatives of the victim were present in the human chain.

Raju Sarker, officer-in-charge (OC) of Rajarhat Police Station, said "all efforts are being made to arrest the culprits. It is difficult to identify the culprits as they are unknown."

According to the case statement, some unidentified men wearing masks, broke into the house of the class IX girl in Chhinai union on Sunday midnight and tied up her parents with a rope. The culprits took the victim to a garden near the house and one of them raped her.

They also looted gold ornaments worth around Tk 2.5 lakh and some cash money from the house.

Neighbours rescued the girl and her parents early Monday after the miscreants left.

The victim was first admitted to Rajarhat Upazila Health Complex and later shifted to Kurigram District Sadar Hospital.