Five held for murder, rape of teen

Police have arrested five men in connection with the rape and murder of a teenage girl in Mymensingh's Phulbaria.

A team of the Detective Branch arrested Shahid Mia, 38, Alamgir Hossain, 28, Shahjahan, 26, Masum Billah alias Fazar Ali, 22, and Rasel Mia, 19, in Mymensingh and Tangail on Friday, said police.

All of them are workers of a local brick kiln, said Masum Ahmed Bhuiyan, superintendent of Mymensingh police, at a press conference yesterday.

On February 24 evening, the 14-year-old victim went out of her home but did not return. Her body was found hanging from a tree adjacent to her home on the next day.

Her mother Hasna Begum lodged a case with Phulbaria Police Station against unnamed persons.

Of the arrestees, Rasel and Alamgir recorded their confessional statements before a Mymensingh court yesterday afternoon. The court then sent them to jail, said Shafiqul Islam, officer-in-charge of the Detective Branch of Mymensingh police.

Police produced the rest of the arrestees before a court with a seven-day remand prayer, but the court granted two-day remand each. They were taken to police custody, the OC further said.