Bagerhat Community Faces Backlash Over Extrajudicial Arbitration in Child Abuse Case
Photo Collected
A disturbing video circulating on social media has exposed an attempt to settle a child molestation case through an extrajudicial village arbitration in Bagerhat’s Kachua upazila. The footage, which has drawn widespread condemnation, shows a local politician compelling an eight-year-old girl to recount the harrowing details of a sexual assault attempt before a large, public crowd.
According to family members, the incident occurred last Saturday when the girl visited a local shop during a break at her madrasa. The shopkeeper, identified as Hakim Sardar, allegedly lured the child into the store under the pretense of opening a chocolate for her before attempting to assault her. The child escaped only after other minors entered the premises. While the victim’s family initially sought guidance from their madrasa authorities, local political figures intervened to initiate a private arbitration rather than involving law enforcement.
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The arbitration was led by Mahfuzur Rahman, a district law and order committee member and joint convener of the local Jatiyatabadi Ulema Dal. Witnesses and video evidence confirm that Rahman forced the victim to provide public testimony. Upon interrogation, the accused reportedly confessed to the attempted assault and begged for forgiveness, an act that triggered a violent scuffle among onlookers who demanded he be publicly shamed. The meeting concluded in chaos, with the arbitration left unfinished as the crowd dispersed.
Local observers suggest the arbitration was a strategic effort to shield the accused and manage the social fallout of the incident. Former union parishad member Arif Hussain, who participated in the proceedings, argued that a formal legal case would be a protracted burden for the family and would damage the victim’s future prospects. He confirmed that the family was pressured to accept financial compensation in lieu of legal action. However, the girl’s family remains trapped in uncertainty, expressing deep psychological trauma and fear as they face ongoing pressure to accept a settlement.
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While local residents reported the gathering to the police prior to the incident, authorities failed to intervene. Inspector (Investigation) Harun Or Rashid of the Kachua Police Station claimed the department had not received a formal complaint from the family, noting that the victim’s relatives appear hesitant to proceed with a criminal case. The inspector denied prior knowledge of the arbitration, despite eyewitness accounts of a police presence at the scene as the assembly broke up.
The incident has triggered a climate of fear in the region, with witnesses reporting threats from individuals demanding the deletion of viral footage. The accused, Hakim Sardar, remains in the area, while the presiding arbitrator, Mahfuzur Rahman, has reportedly fled to Dhaka. The victim, deeply affected by the ordeal, has ceased attending her madrasa as the family continues to struggle between the pursuit of justice and the mounting pressure from local political intermediaries.
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