O-level student ‘rape, murder’: Suspect Dihan confesses before court

Fardin Iftekhar Dihan, the alleged boyfriend of an ‘O’ level student who was allegedly raped and killed in Kalabagan on Thursday, confessed to his crimes before a Dhaka court on Friday.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Mamunur Rashid recorded his statement and sent him to jail pending further hearing, said an officer of Kalabagan Police Station. The court has fixed Jan 26 for the next hearing.

The 17-year-old ‘O’ level student was allegedly sexually assaulted before being murdered. Her father filed a case against Dihan on the night of the incident

Dhaka Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner (Ramna Division) Sajjadur Rahman said A-level student Dihan was accused of rape and murder. “We had shown him arrested and kept three more suspects in custody for interrogation.”

“Police produced Dihan before a Dhaka court on Friday and sought permission to interrogate him in custody,” Sajjadur said.

The case statement was sent to the court on Friday and was accepted by Metropolitan Magistrate Rashid. The court ordered Kalabagan Police Station’s Inspector AFM Asaduzzaman to investigate the case and file a report.

Police recovered the 17-year-old victim’s body from a city hospital and arrested Dihan and three others in connection with the incident. The victim went to a friend’s house in Kalabagan for group study, family sources said.

Dihan “raped” the girl and took her to the hospital. Doctors informed police that the victim had died before being brought to the hospital.

Sajjadur said, “We are still not sure about the cause of her death and can figure it out after receiving the autopsy report.” The government last November amended the law changing the maximum penalty to death for rape. Nationwide protest sparked by gang rape incidents in Sylhet MC College hostel and Noakhali prompted the government to make the swift change.

The cabinet approved the amendment on October 12 last year. A day later, the president promulgated an ordinance in this regard. But after that, 160 incidents of rape took place until December 31, Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK) said.

Last year, 1,627 women became a victim of rape. Fifty-three of them were killed after rape and 14 of the victims took their own lives, according to ASK. But the actual number is believed to be higher as many victims choose not to report assaults fearing their safety.

Source: UNB