Rape case filed against content creator Ripon Mia

A case has been filed against content creator Ripon Mia in Netrakona over allegations of raping a 15-year-old schoolgirl. The victim's father filed the case with Netrakona Model Police Station on Tuesday night. The victim is a seventh-grade student at a local school.

Content creator Ripon Mia is the son of Manjil Mia of South Bishiura village in Netrakona Sadar upazila. He had left his ancestral home and had been living in Nandura village of the neighbouring Nadar upazila for several years.

The victim's father alleged that Ripon went to their house around 8pm on Saturday. The schoolgirl was cooking in the courtyard of the house at that time. Her father was at his tea stall at the local market and her mother was away working. Taking advantage of the situation, Ripon Mia allegedly took the girl to a nearby bush by force and raped her. When locals rushed to the spot after hearing the girl's screams, Ripon fled.

The complaint further stated that Ripon had been harassing the girl for some time, saying he would make her famous by creating content featuring her. The family initially did not report the matter due to social stigma. Later, when the incident became known in the area, an arbitration meeting was held at a local BNP office on Monday night.

Multiple sources present at the arbitration, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the meeting was led by former Union BNP president Fazlur Rahman. Local leaders and residents were present. At the meeting, Ripon admitted to the allegation and apologised. He was subsequently fined Tk 5 lakh. He was told that if he failed to pay the fine within a week, his house would be handed over to the victim. He was also ordered to leave the area.

Several videos of the arbitration went viral on Facebook on Tuesday morning, sparking widespread discussion. In one video, Ripon Mia is seen apologising to those present and admitting to the allegation. At one point, he is heard saying, "Whether I did wrong or not, I will accept it. People make mistakes, I have made a mistake." He was also seen touching Fazlur Rahman's feet to seek forgiveness. However, following the release of the videos, content creator Ripon Mia went into hiding from that morning.

After learning of the matter, police from Netrakona Model Police Station visited the scene and spoke with the victim's family. Police also spoke with those involved in the arbitration and local residents. Later that night, the victim's father filed a rape case against Ripon with the police station.