After the incident, the accused, identified as Emon, and his mother left their rented home at Lily Garden, a five-storey building near Tetultala field on Mofiz Uddin Biswas Lane in Purba Majampur.
Accused Emon arrested in Kushtia over stabbing of schoolgirl. Photo: Collected
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Accused Emon arrested in Kushtia over stabbing of schoolgirl. Photo: Collected
Police have arrested a teenager accused of stabbing Zakia Sultana, 16, an SSC examinee, in Kushtia town after she protested against his long-standing harassment. He was arrested around 12 hours after the incident, at 1am today (10 November), from the Patikabari area of Kushtia Sadar upazila.
Kushtia Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Zakir Hossain confirmed the arrest at around 1:30am today.
Police said they had been conducting raids at different locations to arrest the accused since the incident. Acting on a tip-off, they arrested him in Patikabari.
After the incident, the accused, identified as Emon, and his mother left their rented home at Lily Garden, a five-storey building near Tetultala field on Mofiz Uddin Biswas Lane in Purba Majampur.
During a visit to the building around 10pm yesterday, the flat was found empty.
According to locals, Emon is the son of Abbas Uddin of Patikabari. His family moved to Purba Majampur around 20 years ago.
His father has been living in Saudi Arabia for a long time, while his elder brother Akash lives in the Netherlands. Emon is the younger of the two brothers.
Neighbours said Emon was a Class 10 student at a private school. He had changed schools several times after repeatedly failing his examinations.
They said he was rarely seen in the neighbourhood and had little interaction with locals. They expressed surprise after learning of his alleged involvement in the stabbing.
Zakia was stabbed earlier in front of her home in Thana Para around 1:10pm yesterday.
She had returned from school and was waiting for the house gate to be opened when Emon, wearing a black shirt, allegedly approached her and attacked her with a sharp knife.
Hearing her screams, locals rushed to the scene. The accused dropped the knife and fled. Locals rescued Zakia and took her to Kushtia 250-bed General Hospital, where she was admitted around 1:40pm. She is currently receiving treatment there.
According to allegations, Zakia’s family told that Emon 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.
The incident has triggered concern and anger in the area.
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