Police in Natore have arrested a 56-year-old grocery shop owner, Osman Ali, on charges of raping a fifth-grade student. The 12-year-old girl was found to be eight months pregnant. Osman Ali was arrested following a complaint filed by the girl's father under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act. The accused has been sent to jail by the court.
The girl's parents, who are both working-class, were unaware of the situation due to their busy schedules. A teacher noticed changes in the girl's physical condition and informed her mother, who took her to a local maternal and child welfare center. A medical examination confirmed the pregnancy.
During interrogation, the girl revealed that Osman Ali had been luring her with sweets and snacks for nearly a year. Following the complaint, police arrested Ali the same night. The incident led to protests by teachers and students at the school, demanding exemplary punishment for the accused.
The girl's father expressed his distress, stating, 'We are all uneducated. We thought educating our daughter would change our situation. But now, her education is the least of our concerns; we just want her to survive. I demand justice for this incident.'
The officer-in-charge of Natore Sadar Police Station, Mansur Rahman, said, 'As soon as we received the complaint, we arrested the accused and took him into police custody. Today, he was produced before the court and sent to jail. We will apply for remand to interrogate him further. The police will do everything to ensure justice in this case.'
