Munshiganj mosque khatib detained over alleged sexual assault on teenager under pretext of exorcism

Police have detained a mosque khatib in Munshiganj’s Sreenagar on allegations of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl under the pretext of exorcising jinn.

The accused, Md Rezaul Bari, 47, was arrested in the Sreenagar Bazar area late last night (12 November). He is the khatib of Sreenagar Bazar Central Jame Mosque and hails from Deulbari village in Nazirpur upazila of Pirojpur.

According to police and the girl’s family, her parents approached Rezaul on 20 September this year, believing that she was suffering from an affliction caused by jinn.

The khatib gave the girl amulets, following which she reportedly felt better for a few days. However, she fell ill again, prompting her family to contact him once more.

On his instructions, the girl’s parents took her to his rented residence in Sreenagar Bazar at around 10pm yesterday.

The khatib allegedly took the girl into a room, turned off the lights and said he would summon a jinn.

Her parents alleged that he then used various tactics to sexually assault her by force under the pretext of exorcism.

The family later lodged a complaint with Sreenagar police.

Milton Dutta, inspector (investigation) at Sreenagar Police Station, said police launched an operation that night based on the girl’s statement and detained the accused from the Sreenagar Bazar area.

A case is being prepared against him on charges of attempted rape, he added.