Father commits suicide in Thakurgaon after failing to get justice for daughter’s rape

A man committed suicide by hanging in Baliadangi upazila of Thakurgaon district on Sunday after failing to get justice for the abduction and rape of his 16-year-old daughter, and subsequently being beaten and crippled by the accused.

Following the death, the victim's mother filed a case with Baliadangi Police Station on Monday against eight individuals. All named accused, including the prime suspect Md Saiful Islam, have fled the area.

According to police and the case statement, Saiful Islam had been harassing the eighth-grade schoolgirl for some time. On June 25, Saiful and his associates abducted her while she was on her way to school. 

They took her to an area near Thakurgaon Road, forced her to sign blank stamp papers under life threats to forge a marriage deed, and later raped her at an undisclosed location. The victim eventually escaped and informed her parents.

When the father went to Saiful’s house to protest, the suspects threatened to kill his entire family if they took legal action and threw him out. On July 2, the suspects ambushed the father on a public road with iron rods and sharp weapons. 

Saiful fractured the father's right knee, while another associate, Manik Hossain, inflicted severe back injuries. Saiful's brother, Farhad, reportedly attempted to strangle him while threatening to take the girl by force and hide the father's body if he interfered.

Unable to bear the physical trauma, threats, and lack of justice, the father hung himself on Sunday afternoon.

The other accused in the case are Md Muktiar Mia, Md. Fahim Uddin, Md Imran Ali, Rezaul Islam, and Faima Begum. Baliadangi Police Station Officer-in-Charge Inspector Md Bulbul Islam confirmed that the case has been recorded based on the mother's complaint and efforts are underway to arrest the fugitives.

—