Police said the investigation into the rape and murder of a schoolgirl in Kalabagan has progressed well and they are trying to complete it soon.  

"The accused gave a confessional statement; the witness gave a statement too. We have collected some evidence and documents," Abul Hasan, assistant commissioner (New Market zone) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, told The Daily Star yesterday.

"The dope test of the accused has been done. We are now waiting for the result. Besides, we are trying to get the medical certificate. There has been substantial progress and we will try to  complete the probe soon."

The police official, however, did not disclose details for the "sake of the investigation".

The victim's father on January 7 filed the case with Kalabagan Police Station against Fardin Iftekhar Dihan, 18, under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act after his 17-year-old daughter, an O-level student, was raped and murdered in the capital's Kalabagan area.

According to the case statement, Dihan tricked the victim into going to his flat when his family members were away from home and raped her. The victim bled profusely and fell unconscious. Dihan then took her to a hospital to deflect blame, the plaintiff alleged.

On January 8, Dihan gave his confessional statement before a Dhaka court. Dihan, who recently passed A-levels, is now behind bars.

A Dhaka court on January 13 allowed police to conduct tests to ascertain whether Dihan, the lone accused in the case, had taken any narcotics or stimulants. Earlier, the same court allowed police to conduct DNA tests on samples collected from Dihan and the victim's bloodstained clothes, following two petitions submitted by the investigation officer.

Police have also collected CCTV footage from all possible sources.

The family of the victim and her schoolmates have been demanding a fair and impartial investigation into the incident.

On Wednesday, the schoolgirl's family placed four demands before the government. The demands are: bringing criminals to justice, transferring the case to a speedy trial tribunal, conducting a transparent DNA test, and making sure that the family is not harassed.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh Chhatra Union brought out a torch rally on Dhaka University campus yesterday evening, protesting the rape and murder of the Kalabagan schoolgirl and another death of a Kalabagan housemaid who died allegedly by suicide after being raped by a security guard of the building where she used to work.