Teenage girl raped, murdered in Pabna: Mob torches accused's house, killing three

A ninth-grade schoolgirl was raped and murdered in Pabna district, sparking violent protests in which a mob set fire to the main accused’s house, killing three people and injuring seven others.

The body of the girl was recovered from the Padma River in the Bhaira area of Barara union in Pabna Sadar upazila on the afternoon of Wednesday, June 3. She had been wrapped in a sack with her hands tied. The body was buried the following day on June 4.

Following the burial, an agitated crowd gathered and set fire to the house of the prime suspect. A gas cylinder inside the house exploded, injuring at least 10 people who were nearby. The injured were first taken to Pabna General Hospital and later transferred to the National Burn and Plastic Surgery Institute in Dhaka. Three of them later died.

Two people died on Tuesday morning while undergoing treatment at the Dhaka hospital. A third person had died the previous evening on Monday, June 8. The deceased have been identified as Sumon Sheikh, son of Tazir Uddin Sheikh from Purba Raghabpur village in Barara union; Saiful Islam Sabbir, son of Shakur Hossain from the neighbouring Notunpara area; and Yusuf Ali, son of Shafi alias Sapu from the same locality.

Police arrested the main accused, Md Nayeem, 20, along with his two accomplices, Md Yasin Sheikh, 21, and Md Tuhin Pramanik, 18. Officers also seized the white private car allegedly used to dispose of the body.

According to police, the girl had been in a long-term relationship with Nayeem, son of Kashem Pramanik from Pabna town. On June 2, she visited his house, where a heated argument erupted. During interrogation, Nayeem confessed that in a fit of rage he threatened her with a sharp knife and then strangled her to death when she did not calm down.

He then called his associates Yasin and Tuhin to help conceal the crime. 

The trio wrapped the girl’s body in plastic chicken sacks, tied her hands, and dumped it in the river.

Pabna Sadar Police Station officer-in-charge Tariqul Islam confirmed that three people had died from their burn injuries in Dhaka and that legal action was under way. 

Additional Superintendent of Police Rezinur Rahman of Pabna said the arrests were made swiftly and investigations were continuing.