Rapist, murderer Babul Mia arrested

Babul Mia, the main accused in the rape and murder of 14-year-old Beauty Akter, has been arrested in Sylhet. A joint team of RAB 9 and police caught him from Beanibazar on early Saturday, RAB’s Senior Assistant Director (media) Moniruzzaman said. Babul and his accomplices abducted Beauty from her home in Brahmandora village in Habiganj’s Shaistaganj on January 21. They kept her confined at an undisclosed location and raped her for about a month before dumping Beauty at her house. Sayed Ali, the victim’s father, filed a case over the abduction and rape of his daughter on March 1 implicating Babul and his mother Kolomchan, a local union parishad member. Later, Sayed sent his daughter to her grandfather’s village home. Enraged after being named in the case, Babul and his men abducted Beauty from her grandfather’s house on March 16. They raped her before murdering her. The next day, Sayed filed another case against Babul, his mother and several others at Shaistaganj police station. Later, police arrested Babul’s mother Kolomchan and another suspect on March 21. Habiganj police formed a three-member committee on March 29. It has been ordered to file a report within three working days.

Beauty’s parents demand justice

After Beauty’s parents heard of Babul’s arrest from reporters, they said they wanted justice for their daughter and authorities should arrest Babul’s accomplices as well. Asking for exemplary punishment for Babul and his cohorts, they said: “We want Babul to be hanged so that no one else ever dares to commit such a heinous crime.”