SSC examinee stabbed outside Kushtia home after protesting ‘harassment’

A 16-year-old Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examinee was stabbed several times outside her home in Kushtia town today (9 November), allegedly by a schoolboy who had harassed her for a long time.

The victim, Zakia Sultana, is undergoing treatment at Kushtia 250-bed General Hospital.

The attack took place around 1:10pm in front of the family’s rented house near Kitchen Club in the town’s Thana Para area.

Zakia is the daughter of Zakaria, a resident of Bhanga upazila in Faridpur, and a Class 10 student at Kushtia Mission Secondary School.

According to police, family members and local sources, Zakia had returned home from school and was waiting for someone to open the gate when a schoolboy named Emon, wearing a black shirt, approached her from behind and stabbed her several times with a sharp knife.

He fled the scene as she collapsed. Hearing her screams, locals rescued her and took her to hospital.

CCTV footage circulating on social media shows a person approaching Zakia from behind at the gate, stabbing her several times and fleeing after she falls to the ground.

Zakia’s family alleged that Emon, a resident of the town’s Mojompur area, had been harassing her for a long time. The two had attended coaching classes together.

The harassment stopped for a while after the family protested the matter and reported it to Emon’s guardians, but the family suspects he attacked Zakia in retaliation for the complaint.

“Emon had been harassing my daughter in various ways for a long time. After we told his guardians, he stopped for some days. He attacked her with a knife with the intent to kill. We want proper justice,” said her mother, Sumi Akter.

Kushtia Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Zakir Hossain said Zakia was receiving stitches at the hospital.

“Necessary legal action will be taken over the incident,” the OC added.