Doctors at Khagrachhari Sadar Hospital have said that no evidence of rape was found in the medical examination of a Marma schoolgirl, whose alleged sexual assault sparked deadly protests in the district earlier this week.
“All the 10 indicators of rape were found to be normal,” said Dr Joy Chakma, Senior Consultant and chief of the three-member medical board. The other members of the team, Dr Mir Mosharraf Hossain and Dr Nahida Akter, co-signed the final report.
Civil Surgeon Saber Ahmed confirmed that the medical report had been forwarded to the superintendent of police for further action in the ongoing rape investigation.
The case dates back to September 23, when a 12-year-old eighth-grader was reportedly rendered unconscious on her way home from private tuition in Singinala area of Khagrachhari Sadar Upazila. Her father subsequently filed a rape lawsuit with the Sadar Police Station against three unidentified persons.
The following day, police arrested a 19-year-old Hindu youth, Shoyon Shil, based on information from local ethnic minority groups. He is currently in police custody under a remand order for interrogation.
Meanwhile, regional army officials accused the United People’s Democratic Front (UPDF), a prominent ethnic minority political group, of using the alleged rape incident to stoke communal tensions and destabilise the area under a broader conspiracy.
The incident and subsequent protests have heightened tensions in Khagrachhari, drawing national attention to both the alleged crime and its political implications.
