A five-year-old girl was sexually assaulted in the Modonhat area of Dighapatia Union under Natore Sadar upazila on Tuesday evening. The accused, identified as 48-year-old Shariful Islam, allegedly lured the child into a nearby cornfield with food and assaulted her. Locals said the child was threatened with a sharp weapon to keep silent. When her family noticed unusual behavior, she revealed the incident, and she was later hospitalized due to excessive bleeding.

The incident became known on Wednesday night, prompting angry residents to capture Shariful from his home, beat him, and hand him over to the police. The victim’s father, a day laborer, demanded exemplary punishment for the accused. Natore Police Station Officer-in-Charge Monsur Rahman confirmed the arrest and said legal action would follow based on the family’s complaint.

Police have taken the accused into custody, and further legal procedures are underway according to the report.