Imam arrested for allegedly raping madrasa student in Mymensingh

A 15-year-old madrasa student has been allegedly raped by a lodging teacher and local mosque imam in Muktagacha, Mymensingh. Police have arrested Md Abdullah, who is also the imam of a local mosque, on charges of rape. According to the complaint, the girl is now approximately seven months pregnant.

Police said the accused was arrested early on Friday, June 25, based on secret information from a village adjacent to Kheruajani union. He is a resident of Vitibari village in the upazila.

The victim's father filed a case under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act at Muktagacha Police Station.

According to the case filing, the accused, being a classmate of the victim's cousin, used to live as a lodger at their house. He also served as an imam at a local mosque. The girl lived with her grandmother as her parents worked in a garment factory in Dhaka.

The complaint stated that the accused entered the girl's room at night on November 22 last year and raped her. He threatened to kill her if she told anyone. Fearing social stigma, she kept the matter hidden for a long time.

Later, when the girl's grandmother noticed physical changes and took her to a doctor, tests revealed she was 27 weeks pregnant. The girl then disclosed the incident to family members and named the accused.

The family said local efforts to resolve the matter failed, leading the girl's father to file the case.

The victim said she had kept silent for fear of social stigma. "Now I am seven months pregnant. I want social recognition for my child and a fair trial for this incident," she said.

Muktagacha Police Station Officer-in-Charge Kamrul Islam said the accused had been in hiding in various places, including Dhaka. He was arrested based on secret information and produced before the court. A request for a DNA test has also been filed.