Mosque Khatib Sent to Jail in Munshiganj Over Alleged Rape of 13-Year-Old in Srinagar

A mosque khatib in Srinagar upazila of Munshiganj has been arrested and sent to jail over allegations that he raped a 13-year-old girl after taking her into a room on the pretext of driving out a jinn.

The arrested man is Rezaul Bari, 47. His village home is in Nazirpur upazila of Pirojpur. He had been serving as khatib of a mosque in Srinagar and lived in a rented house in the Srinagar Bazar area.

According to police and the girl's family, the girl was often ill. Family members had taken her to doctors in various places but could not make her well.

At one stage, her parents took the girl to Rezaul Bari on September 20. When she recently fell ill again, the family contacted him again.

The family says that at around 10pm on Thursday, the parents took the girl to Rezaul Bari's rented house. There, it is alleged, she was raped in a room after being taken in on the pretext of driving out a jinn.

Srinagar police station officer-in-charge Jewel Mia said that after a written complaint was received at the station on Thursday night, the accused was detained from the Srinagar Bazar area.

OC Jewel Mia said the girl's mother then filed a rape case on Friday morning. Rezaul Bari was shown arrested in that case and sent to the Munshiganj court on Friday afternoon.

Munshiganj court police inspector Kamrul Islam Mia said that after the hearing, the court ordered Rezaul Bari to be sent to jail.