Railway police have made a fourth arrest in connection with the rape of a teenage girl on the Chittagong-bound Udayan Express from Sylhet.
The arrestee, Abdur Rob Rasel, 28, is an employee of SA Corporation, a catering service company, Chittagong railway police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) SM Shahidul Islam told Dhaka Tribune on Thursday.
Md Jamal, 27, Md Sharif, 28, and Md Rashed, 27, all from the same catering business that supplies food to trains, were arrested on Wednesday.
The girl, 18, was raped allegedly by three employees of the catering company on the Udayan Express at around 4:30am on Wednesday.
Mohammad Nazmul Islam, general manager of Bangladesh Railway (eastern region), said a case had been filed over the rape.
Furthermore, Bangladesh Railway suspended Abdur Rahim, a guard on the train.
The train was crossing the Laksam area at the time of the incident, according to railway police.
Although it happened early morning, the matter came to light after the evening.
The Udayan Express left Sylhet for Chittagong at 10pm on Tuesday and reached Chittagong at 8am the next day.
According to railway police, the young woman was going to Chittagong. She had boarded the train in Bhairab and stayed in the food compartment.
Some employees of the catering company first molested and then raped her.
Sardar Shahadat Ali, director general of Bangladesh Railway, termed the incident tragic.
He announced the cancellation of the catering company’s licence, saying it had tarnished the image of Bangladesh Railway.
SA Corporation provides catering and onboard services for at least ten pairs of trains.
The company also oversees the parking lot at Chittagong Railway Station and leases various station facilities. Recently, SA Corporation introduced female stewards in the onboard service of the Cox's Bazar Express, which brought the company into the spotlight.
