RAB arrests rape suspect after 13-year-old schoolgirl dies by ‘suicide' in Mymensingh

The victim's family held a protest at the police station demanding justice for the student

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has arrested a man in connection with the alleged rape and subsequent suicide of a 13-year-old schoolgirl in Mymensingh’s Phulpur Upazila.

The arrest of the suspect, identified as Rubel Mia, a father of two, was announced by RAB-14 Director Naimul Hassan at a press conference on Wednesday.

According to RAB, the victim, a local school student, was allegedly raped on Sunday night.

Following the assault, she reportedly consumed toxic pesticides at Rubel's house.

She was first taken to Phulpur Upazila Health Complex after 11pm and later transferred to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital, where she died in the early hours of Monday.

The girl’s death sparked outrage, with relatives staging a protest at the local police station on Monday evening after the postmortem.

Her father filed a case under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act, naming Rubel as the sole suspect.

"We managed to arrest Rubel Mia within 24 hours of the case being filed," Naimul told reporters.