Police arrested a man on charges of attempting to rape a speech-impaired 12-year-old girl in the Harinachala area of Gazipur yesterday afternoon.

According to Konabari Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md Iftekhar, a family member of the victim filed a case this morning, following which the accused was shown arrested. He will be sent to jail through the court today.

Arrangements have been made for the child to undergo a medical examination, with further details to follow upon receipt of the report, he added.

Sub-Inspector Mohammad Hamid of Konabari Police Station said that Qurban Ali, an autorickshaw driver and a resident of Harinachala, attempted to rape the girl around noon yesterday, but local residents went to the spot immediately upon learning of the incident and caught him.

A local resident alerted police by calling the national emergency service number 999 around 5:00pm yesterday.

Meanwhile, locals alleged that Shafiqul Islam, the owner of the house where Qurban resides, initially attempted to suppress the matter and obstructed the handover of the accused to police.

Some local youths reportedly seized the mobile phones of bystanders and assaulted those attempting to contact the police. As news of the incident spread, hundreds gathered at the scene, and an angry mob attacked Shafiqul, who later fled.