A 19-year-old woman in Kabirhat Upazila, Noakhali was raped inside her home early Monday night. The accused, 18-year-old Arafat Islam alias Shakib—her neighbour—was caught on the spot by the victim’s family and handed over to Kabirhat police. The survivor’s medical examination was completed on Tuesday at the Noakhali 250-bed General Hospital.
According to police and local accounts, the young woman had been living at her father’s home after her husband abandoned her two years ago. During this period, Arafat reportedly harassed her repeatedly. In her statement to police, the survivor said that Arafat called her from outside the house around 12:30 am, and when she opened the door, he forced his way in and raped her. Hearing her screams, family members woke up, detained Arafat, and alerted police.
Kabirhat Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md. Shahin Mia confirmed that Arafat had a history of harassing the victim and entered the house at night before committing the assault. The survivor filed a case under the Prevention of Violence Against Women and Children Act, and police formally arrested Arafat.
He was produced before the Noakhali Chief Judicial Magistrate Court on Tuesday afternoon, where the court ordered him to be sent to jail. Police say further investigation is underway.
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