A village imam in Feni’s Parshuram upazila has been cleared of rape allegations after DNA testing confirmed that the biological father of a child was not him, but the complainant’s elder brother.
The case led to his arrest, more than a month in jail, and serious social and financial hardship.
The accused, Muzaffar Ahmed, 25, was an imam and maktab teacher at a local mosque in Uttar Teteshwar village under Boxmahmud Union.
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He was arrested on November 24, 2024, after a case was filed at Parshuram Model Police Station by the mother of a 14-year-old girl, alleging rape. Muzaffar consistently denied the allegations, claiming innocence.
Despite his denial, police took him into custody and he spent one month and two days in jail. He also lost his job as an imam during this period and faced severe social stigma.
On November 26, 2024, he attempted to file a counter-complaint at a court in Feni, alleging that he had been falsely implicated. However, he was later handed over to police from the court premises.
The case took a turning point after forensic examinations. On December 22, 2024, samples were sent to the CID forensic laboratory in Dhaka for DNA testing.
The initial report, received on January 21, 2025, found no semen in the preserved vaginal swab, making it impossible to match DNA with the accused at that stage.
As investigations continued, police questioned the victim in detail, during which she reportedly confessed that her elder brother, Morshed, 22, had raped her, and that the imam had been falsely implicated to protect him.
Following the confession, police arrested Morshed on May 19, 2025. He later gave a confessional statement in court under Section 164, admitting to the offence.
A further DNA test conducted on August 4, 2025, confirmed that Morshed was the biological father of the child born to the victim. The forensic report showed a 99.99 percent DNA match.
The report also confirmed that Muzaffar Ahmed was not involved in the incident.
Following the findings, police submitted a charge sheet against Morshed under the Prevention of Oppression of Women and Children Act, 2000, while Muzaffar was cleared of all allegations.
Md. Ashraful Islam, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Parshuram Model Police Station, said the investigation was carried out thoroughly and the DNA evidence confirmed the truth.
After his release, Muzaffar Ahmed said he suffered severe financial loss, mental distress, and social humiliation due to the case. He said he had to sell land to cover legal expenses and lost his livelihood.
He has demanded compensation, saying false accusations destroyed his reputation and future.
Local religious leaders have also called for support for the wrongly accused imam and stronger safeguards to prevent similar miscarriages of justice in the future.