Sathi Khatun

Monirul had a grudge against the schoolgirl's family. He never expressed it, rather became a friend of the family. Secretly, he was planning revenge. Yesterday, he stabbed the girl when she was on her way to school.

Manjur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Chapainawabganj Sadar Police Station, said this while talking to The Daily Star.

“I noticed him [Monirul] following me on my way to school over the last three days,” said Sathi Khatun at the surgery ward of Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH).

The 13-year-old girl of Hujrapur in the town did not tell her parents of the matter, fearing that her parents might stop her from going to school. Besides, the sixth-grader thought that Monirul had no ill motive to follow her, said Sathi, daughter of Abdus Salam.

Police arrested Monirul Islam, 25, in the evening.            

Monirul's grudge began to grow when the girl's elder brother filed a case against him for attacking him five years ago and he had to spend six months in jail, said OC Manjur.

This incident led to the attack on the girl, the police official said.

In 2013, Monirul stabbed Sathi's brother and badly injured one of his hands with a hammer following a quarrel over playing carrom. The case is still under trial, said Sathi's father. 

“It was five years ago. Meantime, we forgot our grievances. He [Monirul] was also trying to build a good relation with us,” said the father.

Monirul dropped by their home hours before the attack. His daughter was preparing to go to school at that time, said Salam.

“Monirul asked about my wellbeing and left smiling,” said the girl's mother at RMCH.

Sathi's father left home for work minutes after Monirul left their home. On his way, he too saw Monirul. They also asked about each other's wellbeing.

Sobbing, Salam said, “How would I know he was waiting there to attack my daughter?”

Around 9:00am, when Sathi was going to school on a rickshaw with a classmate, she saw Monirul.

All of a sudden, Monirul started stabbing her, jumping onto the rickshaw, the girl said.

Her classmate managed to run away.

Sathi was taken to Chapainawabganj Sadar Hospital. She was later moved to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital.

The victim has multiple stab injuries on different parts of her body, said RMCH Director Brig Gen Jamilur Rahman.

Sathi was undergoing surgery around 10:00pm when this report was being filed.

After the attack on Sathi, residents of Hujrapur ransacked the house of Monirul in Railbagan area.

Monirul stands accused in three cases, said OC Manjur.

Other than the case of the girl's brother, Monirul was facing two cases filed over abusing and selling narcotics, he said.

Monirul was arrested a month ago with drugs and was out on bail, said the OC.

Police also detained Monirul's wife Rubi Khatun and his two sisters Shahin Akhtar and Jahanara Khatun.