College girl murdered after rape

Locals yesterday found the body of a college student thought to be raped and murdered at her home in Panchbibi, Joypurhat.

Aysha Siddiqua, 22, was a student of botanical studies at Joypurhat Government College, said police, adding that there were signs that she was raped before the murder.

In Rangpur, police are looking for the Imam of a mosque accused of raping a three-year-old girl on Thursday, leaving her critically injured.

Mahfuzur Rahman, imam of Nagdah Keramotia Jame Mosjid at Dalbari in Mahiganj area, has been accused of raping the toddler and threatening her mother not to inform the police or take the girl to a hospital.

In a case filed with Mahiganj Police Station hours after the incident, her mother stated that Mahfuzur took the girl to his home in the afternoon and raped her. Hearing her screams, several locals rescued her.

Since Mahfuzur is an influential person in the locality, the girl's mother and the neighbours obeyed when he told them to keep quiet.

As the girl began to lose blood rapidly, her parents took her to the police station late at night.

Mostafizur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Mahiganj Police Station, said police recorded the case and made arrangements for her treatment at a hospital.

In Joypurhat, Aysha, the woman who got killed, and her two nieces went to sleep in separate rooms on Friday night.  

When the two girls woke up yesterday morning, they found Aysha's room locked from inside. As the latter did not respond to their calls, they called the neighbours, who broke the door and found the body lying on the bed.

Ishtiaq Alam, assistant superintendent of police in Panchbibi, who visited the tin-shed building, said the woman might have been choked to death. 

It was unclear how the suspects broke into the house and left, he added.

The body will be sent for an autopsy after forensic experts visit the scene.