Abused, schoolgirl takes own life in Pirojpur

A schoolgirl committed suicide at Dakkhin Bhandaria village in Bhandaria upazila under the district yesterday allegedly after being teased by a boy and abused by his relatives.
The deceased is Kulsum Akter, 16, daughter of late Abul Bashar Dulal of Badura village in Pirojpur Sadar upazila.
Kulsum, also a Class IX student of Bhandaria Thana Girls' High School in the upazila, stayed at her maternal aunt's house at Dakkhin Bhandaria village as her mother Surma Begum and brother Abdul Sarif work in Dhaka, family sources said.
Payel, a Class X student of Bhandaria Bihari Pilot High School, and also a neighbour of Kulsum, teased the girl when she was returning home from school with her cousin Liza, a Class VIII student of the same school, yesterday morning.
Seeing the incident, a few policemen of Bhandaria Police Station (PS) came forward and allegedly beat up Payel.
As Payel told his family members of the matter, a few people including Payel's mother Parvin went to the house of Kulsum's aunt and scolded the girl badly.
Utterly humiliated, she hanged herself with a scarf from the ceiling of the house, said relatives and locals.
She was taken to Bhandaria Health Complex where the on duty doctor declared her dead at noon.
Police sent the body to Pirojpur Sadar Hospital morgue for autopsy.
Giving a different version, Md Abu Jahid, officer in charge (OC) of Bhandaria PS, said Kulsum and Liza went to visit adjacent Bottala area with two other boys including Payel, evading school.
"There some local boys snatched their mobile phones. Informed, a few policemen went to the spot and beat up Payel. Hearing the incident, Payel's mother and a few other women scolded Kulsum badly. Then the girl committed suicide.
"No case has been filed yet. If the girl's family brings any allegation we will accept it," the OC said.