Police have arrested two individuals in separate rape cases involving minor girls in Patuakhali and Kushtia.

In Patuakhali, Md Mainuddin was arrested around 8:00pm on Friday in a case filed over the rape of a 7-year-old girl in Dashmina upazila.

The incident took place at around 10:00am on the same day when the child was playing near an under-construction girder bridge over Kalarani and Syed Jafar canals in Nijhawla village of Banshbaria union.

Mainuddin, a trolley helper at the bridge site, allegedly took the girl to a secluded spot beside the bridge and raped her.

The victim narrated the incident to her mother, who later filed a case with Dashmina Police Station.

“Further activities, including medical examination, are under process,” said Dashmina Police Station Officer-in-Charge Abu Shahadat Md Hachanain Parvez.

In Kushtia, Hamidul Islam, office assistant of a local secondary school, was arrested after a sixth grader was rescued in an unconscious state from the cornice of the school’s second floor on Thursday night around 9:00pm in Mirpur upazila.

She was taken to Mirpur Upazila Health Complex and later referred to Kushtia General Hospital.

Residential Medical Officer Dr Hossain Imam said that there were signs of rape on the girl’s body.

The victim’s mother filed a case on Friday night naming Hamidul as the sole accused.

Officer-in-Charge Shahidul Islam of Mirpur Police Station told The Daily Star that both Hamidul and security guard Mohsin were initially brought in for questioning.

Later, Hamidul was shown arrested after the victim's mother filed the case, while Mohsin was released.

[Our correspondents from Patuakhali and Kushtia contributed to this report.]