An eight-year-old boy has reportedly been raped by a 60-year-old man at Munshur Ahmed High School, a makeshift flood shelter, in Kushakhali union of Lakshmipur Sadar upazila.
The rape survivor's brother filed a case at Lakshmipur Sadar police station on Saturday in connection with the incident.
According to reports, the accused has been on the run since the incident. The man is allegedly involved in BNP politics, and there are claims that he is trying to control the situation through his connections.
Details from the case statement and local sources indicate that the boy's family took refuge at the shelter due to flooding in their area.
The incident occurred late at night on August 25 and 29, when the accused allegedly lured the boy to the restroom and raped him.
The child later shared the matter with his family. Attempts were made by some local figures to resolve the matter privately, allowing the main accused to escape.
Additionally, the accused's nephew allegedly threatened the victim's family, warning them not to escalate the situation.
The child's elder brother said: "The man did terrible things to my younger brother in the shelter. When we sought justice, some tried to settle the matter privately. Meanwhile, the accused's nephew, along with some BNP men, came and threatened us."
A person from the same household said: "We tried to mediate the issue. I even gave Tk1,500 for the child's treatment, but they did not seek medical help. However, the accused’s nephew’s actions caused the matter to spread widely. Now, if they seek legal help, that is up to them."
Attempts to contact the accused and his nephew for comments were unsuccessful.
The accused's wife said: "I do not know anything. However, hundreds of people gathered in front of our house. I am not sure if my husband was involved in this incident."
Asaduzzaman Chowdhury, executive director of an NGO, said: "Upon receiving a complaint from the army camp, we went to the scene and found the allegations to be true. We brought the victim and his mother to the hospital."
“A case has been filed, and we are providing legal and other necessary support to the family. This is a very unfortunate incident. Such things should never happen," he added.
Lakshmipur Sadar police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Yasin Faruk Majumder said legal action is being taken in response.