Police on Friday arrested a man for allegedly raping a 7-year-old girl in Char Sitaijhar village of Mughalbasa union in Kurigram Sadar upazila.

The arrestee was identified as Alam Mia, 40, son of late Omar Ali of the village, an employee of a tea stall.

Officer-in-charge of Sadar Police Station Shahriar Khan said tea stall worker Alam was accused of raping the girl when she was alone on May 3. The girl did not tell anyone about the incident for three days. Later, due to severe pain and bleeding, she told her mother about the incident. The girl was later treated by a local doctor.

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In this connection, the mother of the minor girl filed a case with the Kurigram Sadar Police Station on Friday morning.

On Friday noon, the Police arrested the accused Alam and he was sent to jail after being presented in court.

Bangladesh's rape epidemic

Sexual assaults on women continue unabated in Bangladesh, despite the government introducing the death penalty for rapes last year.

Earlier last month, a police headquarters report said that 26,695 rape cases were filed across the country in the past five years.

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Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) data shows that 1,018 children were raped last year alone, but only 683 police cases had been filed. Also, 116 survivors were six years old or below.

Overall, 1,627 rape cases were reported last year and 53 of the women were killed by the perpetrators while 14 took their own lives, as per the data.

However, ASK's data is just the tip of the iceberg, according to aid agencies, who report that most women are too afraid to report rape.

In October 2020, the country was rocked by protests after a woman was allegedly attacked and raped in Noakhali.

Also read: Police HQ: 26,695 rape cases filed in 5 yrs, with notable jump since 2019

In November last year, Bangladesh introduced capital punishment for rape, following days of protests against sexual violence against women in several cities across the country.

But human rights organisations say the move will not solve the country's rape crisis, and the survivors of the heinous crime are often stigmatised in society.