Elderly man arrested for 'raping' a 5-year-old in Sherpur

An elderly man has been sent to jail on charges of raping a 5-year-old child in Sherpur's Nokla Upazila.

In the wake of the alleged incident on Saturday, the child's father initiated a case and the suspect was arrested later that night, according to Habibur Rahman, chief of Nokla Police Station.

The suspect has been identified as 60-year-old Chan Mia, also known as Lachha Mia, a neighbour who was like a grandfather to the child.

On Sunday, Chan Mia was presented in court, where the judge ordered his transfer to the district jail.

According to police, Chan Mia lured the child to a cornfield near his house in the afternoon by promising her a treat. Once there, he assaulted her. When the child began screaming, he attempted to calm her by handing her Tk 20 to buy something to eat.

Hearing the commotion, the child's mother rushed to the cornfield and found her daughter writhing in pain on the ground, while Chan Mia fled the scene.

The mother discussed the incident with family members, and the child's father then went to Nokla Police Station to report the incident.

Chan Mia later tried to cover up the incident and settle the matter through local intermediaries, but his efforts failed. Eventually, the father formally filed a case at the police station.

Habibur said that after registering the case, the police launched an operation and arrested Chan Mia that same night.

He added that the child had been taken to the 250-bed Sherpur District Hospital for a medical examination.