Counter-Case in Savar Names Rape-Case Complainant as Accused Over Alleged Tk 77 Lakh Looting; Family Outraged

In Savar, the complainant of a case filed against madrasa head teacher and owner Abdul Bari over the alleged rape of a 13-year-old student has now himself been named as an accused. A new case over alleged vandalism and looting at the madrasa names a total of 21 accused, including the rape case's complainant.

The case was filed at Savar Model Police Station on Saturday (October 24) by Md Umair, the elder son of Abdul Bari (50), the prime accused in the rape case. Six accused are named in the case and the other 15 are unnamed. Savar Model Police Station Inspector (Investigation) Md Mosharraf Hossain confirmed the matter.

The police official said the case alleges the looting of Tk 47 lakh in cash, 12 bhori of gold ornaments worth Tk 23 lakh, and furniture and other goods worth Tk 7 lakh from the madrasa — Tk 77 lakh in total.

A police source said the six named accused include the grandfather of the victim student, who is the complainant in the rape case. The source also claimed police had to record the vandalism and looting case under pressure from higher quarters and according to the complainant's wishes.

Asked about naming the rape case's complainant in the looting case, Inspector (Investigation) Mosharraf Hossain said: 'We advised against naming the rape case's complainant as an accused in the madrasa looting case. But the madrasa authorities insisted on naming him. We will not arrest him without investigation.'

The new case's complainant, Md Umair, describes himself as an assistant in the madrasa's management. In his account, the rape allegation against his father is false and motivated. He says the allegation was raised with the aim of grabbing the madrasa's land and looting it, and that vandalism and looting were carried out at the madrasa that night.

Md Umair said: 'The rape case that has been filed is false and motivated. Deliberately raising a false allegation against my father, with the aim of grabbing the madrasa's land and looting it, they vandalised and looted our madrasa that night. Goods worth Tk 77 lakh, including cash and gold ornaments, were looted from the madrasa. Vandalism caused further damage of over a crore of taka.' He also claimed that a party had been trying to grab the madrasa's land for the past few years.

On the other side, relatives of the 13-year-old student have expressed outrage at the naming of the rape case's complainant in the vandalism and looting case. They also voiced dissatisfaction that police have not yet arrested Abdul Bari, the prime accused in the rape case.

The incident began last Wednesday. After the alleged rape became known, local residents surrounded the madrasa in the evening. On receiving the news, a team from Birulia police outpost went to the spot at around 7 pm. Faced with the crowd's anger, the police members became confined inside the madrasa.

Later, several more police teams reached the spot. At around 8:45 pm, police rescued the accused head teacher's wife and son and quickly set off for the police station. Afterwards, local residents allegedly carried out a second round of vandalism at the madrasa and looted goods from inside.

As a result, the same incident now has two cases from two sides — on one hand, the allegation of the rape of a 13-year-old student; on the other, the counter-allegation of vandalism and Tk 77 lakh in looting. The truth of both allegations is now a matter of investigation.

Amid the victim's family's outrage and the police position of 'no arrest without investigation,' attention is now on the next steps. In particular, the question remains as to why the prime accused in the rape case has still not been arrested.