A case has been filed over the brutal rape of an eight-year-old girl in Magura Sadar Upazila, with four suspects—including her sister’s husband and father-in-law—formally arrested while already in police custody.
The case was registered today (8 March) at Magura Police Station under the Women and Child Repression Prevention Act, accusing the suspects of rape and grievous assault, said Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Md Mirajul Islam.
The accused include the victim’s sister’s husband, father-in-law, mother-in-law, and brother-in-law. “They were already in custody and have now been officially arrested in connection with the case,” Mirajul confirmed.
The child’s mother filed the complaint through her husband and eldest daughter, leading to the case registration.
The victim, who had been receiving care at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) for the past two days, was transferred to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Dhaka this afternoon due to her deteriorating condition, DMCH Deputy Director Ashraful Alam said.
"Following the advice of a medical board and the direction of Sharmeen S Murshid, Adviser to the Ministry of Social Welfare, she was moved to CMH for better treatment," Alam stated. A team of doctors accompanied her in an ambulance around 5 PM to ensure specialized care.
The incident took place on Wednesday when the young girl visited her sister's in-laws' house in Nijnanduali village, Sadar upazila, Magura district. That night, she went to bed with her sister. When her sister woke up, the girl was missing. After a frantic search, she was found unconscious a few yards away from the house.
The victim was taken to Magura General Hospital and then shifted to Faridpur Medical College Hospital due to her critical condition later. On Thursday, the girl was sent to the DMCH.
Quoting her sister, police said her father-in-law, Hitu Sheikh, violated the little girl after taking her outside the house.
He also tried to kill the girl by strangulating but failed and left her in an unconscious state.
A medical board, consisting of specialists in gynaecology and anaesthesiology, has been overseeing her treatment. Authorities are continuing their investigation as the child fights for her life.
