At least 24 rape cases were filed in the Savar-Ashulia industrial belt during the first three months of the year, according to police data, raising concerns over women’s safety in the area.
According to the Savar Circle police, six cases were filed with the Savar Model Police Station and 18 with the Ashulia Police Station between January and March.
Police said 11 accused were named in the Savar cases, of whom seven have been arrested. In the Ashulia cases, 22 accused — including six to seven unidentified individuals — were listed, while 20 have been arrested and 12 remain absconding.
One of the incidents that sparked widespread concern occurred on January 15, when a young woman boarded a “Savar Paribahan” bus from the Radio Colony area in Savar around midnight to travel to Ashulia.
After other passengers got off, the bus driver Altaf and his accomplice Sagar allegedly raped the woman inside the bus and recorded the incident on a mobile phone, according to police.
The bus reportedly travelled through different roads in Savar, Ashulia and Chandra throughout the night before stopping near the Kortia underpass on the Dhaka-Tangail highway the following day.
When a highway police patrol approached the vehicle, the survivor informed officers about the incident. Police later rescued her, arrested three people, including the driver and his accomplices, and seized the bus.
Several other rape allegations have surfaced in the area in recent months.
On April 16, a 16-year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped at a house in Savar. Four people were arrested in connection with the case.
According to the survivor’s father, the girl had gone to a nearby shop in the afternoon when a man named Shanto allegedly dragged her into a house, where she was raped by several men, including one identified as Emon. The accused also allegedly recorded the assault and threatened to release the footage online if she spoke about the incident.
On March 14, police arrested a content creator identified as Imran, also known as “BP Imran,” in a rape case filed in Ashulia.
The complainant alleged that Imran, who used to make TikTok videos with her, raped her at her home on March 12 after she decided to stop appearing in videos with him. Two other accused, identified as Junaid and Sumaiya, allegedly later assaulted her as well.
In another incident, police arrested Abdul Barek on April 7 in Birulia, Savar, over allegations of raping a seven-year-old child.
On February 24, a student of Jahangirnagar University accused former student SM Tariqul Islam of rape and torture at his residence. The university later suspended his certificate and formed an investigation committee.
Earlier, on January 24, a newlywed woman was allegedly gang-raped at a rented house in Ashulia after her husband was held hostage. Rapid Action Battalion later arrested accused Mosaddek Khan on March 23.
Rights activists and legal experts say many incidents of rape and sexual violence still go unreported due to social stigma and fear of harassment during legal proceedings.
Advocate Mahmudul Hasan Badal, a lawyer at the Dhaka Judge Court, said survivors and their families often avoid seeking legal support because of concerns over public exposure and lengthy judicial procedures.
“Many victims fear dealing with police, lawyers and the media. The accused often take advantage of this hesitation,” he said.
Dhaka District Additional Superintendent of Police (Crime, Traffic and Ops) Md Jahangir Alam said 24 rape-related cases were filed in Savar and Ashulia police stations over the past three months.
“A total of 33 accused have been named in these cases, along with several unidentified suspects. So far, 27 accused have been arrested,” he said, adding that drives are ongoing to arrest the remaining suspects.