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Published : 10 Jun 2026, 02:50 PM
A Chattogram court has begun recording testimony in the case filed over the rape of a 3-and-a-half-year-old child near Chairman Ghata of Bakalia Thana.
Judge Syeda Hafsa Jhuma of the Chattogram Metropolitan Child Repression Prevention Tribunal began the hearing at 11am on Wednesday.
Tribunal Public Prosecutor Mahmud-ul Alam Chowdhury Maruf told bdnews24.com, “Initially, the father of the child, the plaintiff in the case, testified.
Then the child’s grandmother, grandfather, aunt and the caretaker of the colony where the child’s family lives testified.
The court adjourned for prayers at 1:15pm.
“The witnesses were also examined by the state-appointed lawyer for the accused. After the break, four more witnesses are scheduled to testify.”
During the break in the testimony, state-appointed lawyer GM Zahed Hossain told reporters present on behalf of accused Monir Hossain: “The child’s father, who is the plaintiff in the case, was in Dhaka at the time of the incident. The child’s grandmother is an important witness in the case. She is also not an ‘eye witness’.
“The child’s grandmother stated during interrogation that the accused [Monir] did not initially confess anything. The locals beat him up and extracted a confession.”
When asked about the statement made by Monir under Section 164, lawyer Zahed said: “He said he did this act at the instigation of the devil. However, it is not rape, but rather he is accused of putting his hands on the child’s privates.
“After the testimony and cross-examination of the investigating officer in the case is conducted, it will be clear how guilty the accused is. The testimony and cross-examination of the medical officer will reveal what true crime the accused is guilty of. We do not want any innocent person to be punished.”
During the cross-examination, defence lawyer Zahed also asked about the discrepancy between the time of the plaintiff's return from Dhaka and the time of the case’s filing, not matching the child's DNA report to the DNA of the accused, and other issues.
On Tuesday, charges were framed against accused Monir after a hearing at the tribunal.
The court took cognisance of the chargesheet submitted by the police in the case on Monday.
Inspector (Investigation) of Baklia Police Station Tanvir Ahmed had submitted the chargesheet on Jun 4.
Monir was charged with rape under Section 9 (1) of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act, 2000 (Amended 2003).
Previously, police had taken the child’s DNA report and recorded the statements of the accused and the victim under Section 164. A total of 22 people were called as witnesses in the case.
Detainee Monir “confessed” after being presented at the court of Chattogram Metropolitan Magistrate Abu Bakr Siddique on the afternoon of May 22.
On the afternoon of May 21, news had spread in Chairman Ghata that a child had been “raped” by Monir, a 32-year-old who was employed as a decorator. Police went and arrested him after receiving the complaint.
When police tried to take Monir to the police station, locals blocked him, saying that they would take the matter into their own hands in order to “ensure” his punishment.
After failing for more than two hours to remove the suspect from the area, police fired tear gas shells to disperse the crowd.
Locals gathered and surrounded the police vehicle as the Bakalia area turned into a battlefield in a clash between law enforcers and locals.
A large police truck was set on fire and at least 40 people, including journalists, were injured.
The child's father filed a case with Bakalia Police Station later that night.
On May 22, police said Monir, who was arrested on charges of “rape”, had “confessed his guilt”.
Chattogram Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner (South) Hossain Md Kabir Bhuiyan told bdnews24.com, "During our interrogation, Monir Hossain confessed to raping the child. Later, when he was taken to court, he gave a confessional statement there too. Later, the suspect was sent to jail on the orders of the court.
He said, "On the day of the incident, the child's father was in Dhaka and the mother was at work in the garments factory. At that time, the child was with the grandmother. The accused then tried to use trickery to rape or attempt to rape the child. However, the matter can only be confirmed after we receive the medical report."
After the child was rescued on the day of the incident, they were taken to the One Stop Crisis Centre at Chittagong Medical College Hospital.
