Shibir central leader Jisan arrested over rape, forced abortion charges

Police have arrested central leader of Islami Chhatra Shibir, Jisan Pradhan, in a case filed at Daudkandi Police Station in Cumilla over allegations of rape and forcible abortion.

Daudkandi Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md Abdul Bari confirmed the matter. He said Jisan is currently receiving treatment under police custody at Cumilla Medical College Hospital. He may be produced in court today once his physical condition improves, the OC added .

Earlier on Friday night, Cumilla district police said in a press release that Jisan Pradhan was not abducted from Daudkandi . He had gone into hiding voluntarily to avoid a rape allegation and pressure to marry, police said .

Police said Jisan was rescued from Laksham Railway Junction area in Cumilla around 10:00 pm on Friday . After being rescued, he had claimed he was abducted in a car .

According to the police press release, Jisan had taken a woman to a rented house in Daudkandi on May 20 and raped her after promising marriage . When the woman later became pregnant, she was forced to undergo an abortion .

The woman then pressured Jisan to marry him . Jisan agreed to marry her on Friday but went into hiding on Thursday to avoid the wedding . To give the incident a different twist, he had his cousin Russell Ahmed file a general diary at the police station claiming he was missing, police said .

After news of Jisan's rescue spread, the woman filed a case on Friday night under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act at Daudkandi Model Police Station . The case names Jisan as the main accused on charges of rape, abetting rape, and destroying evidence of pregnancy .

Jisan Pradhan, 28, was a central assistant international affairs secretary of Islami Chhatra Shibir and a former president of the organisation's Cumilla district west branch .

Meanwhile, former Dhaka University Central Students' Union (Ducsu) general secretary and Shibir leader S M Farhad said in a Facebook post that the organisation has decided to expel Jisan .