Teen arrested for raping five-year-old in Thanchi, locals protest at police station

A 16-year-old teenager has been arrested for allegedly raping a five-year-old child in the sadar area of Thanchi upazila, Bandarban. The arrest was made on Sunday morning, May 24. When news of the rape spread, local residents gathered and staged a protest in front of Thanchi Police Station at noon. Police and BGB members later brought the situation under control and dispersed the protesters.

According to police and local sources, the arrested teenager is a neighbour of the child. On Saturday afternoon, May 23, the child's parents had gone out for work, leaving the child at home. When they returned in the evening, they found the child in a critically injured condition. They contacted the police station and filed a complaint, leading to the immediate detention of the teenager. The victim and her parents were also taken to the police station for legal proceedings.

Thanchi Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mohammad Taufiq said a case has been filed under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act. The victim is being sent to Bandarban Sadar Hospital for medical examination. The arrested teenager is being produced before the court.

According to police records, 11 children and two women were victims of rape in Bandarban district last year.