Three men, including Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) vice president (VP) of Tarabo municipality, were arrested for raping a student of class nine in Rupganj upazila of Narayanganj.
The arrested are Afzal, 26, Towsif, 24, and Abu Sufiyan Shohan. Afzal and Towsif were arrested Saturday night, followed by Chhatra League VP Shohan’s arrest on Sunday.
Confirming the arrest, Rupganj police station Inspector Rafikul Huq said the victim’s father filed a case in this connection, accusing four by name and 2 or 3 others who are unidentified.
Police is trying to arrest the others accused, added the inspector.
According to the case statement, Towsif borrowed Tk500 from the victim. While returning with the lent money on Thursday, Afzal, Towsif ,Tanvir, BCL leader Shohan, and 2 or 3 other unidentified persons, forced the victim into a microbus. She was held captive for two days and raped in turns.
The victim was left in Siddhirganj’s Mouchak area early Saturday, from where she was taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
The victim’s father filed a case in this connection Saturday night.
Students of Gandharbapur High School and locals of the area put up a roadblock in Gandharbapur in the upazila, demanding exemplary punishment for the rapists.
The protesters lifted the roadblock once Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Mumtaz Begum assured justice for the rape.
The UNO said the culprits will be brought to justice, regardless of the party they belong to.
2 arrested for raping
2 men were arrested for raping in separate incidents.
In Satkhira, a man was arrested Saturday night for raping and killing a college girl in the district’s Shyamnagar upazila.
The arrested was identified as Subrata Mondal, 24.
Superintendent of Police (SP) Mostafizur Rahman said Subrata and the victim were romantically involved for the last two years but he became frightened when the victim repeatedly pressured him to marry her.
“On January 7, the victim refused to return home after meeting the accused and urged him to elope with her. Panic stricken, Subrata raped and subsequently strangled the victim to death with a scarf,” added Mostafizur.
The victim’s father filed a general diary with Shyamnagar police station after she went missing. Her body was subsequently recovered from a beel (water body) on Friday morning, following which the victim’s brother filed a case with the same station, said the SP.
In Pabna, a man was arrested on Sunday for reportedly raping a disabled girl in the district’s Atghoria upazila.
The arrested was identified as Abdul Karim, 50.
Atghoria police station OC Rokibul Islam said Karim and his accomplice Belal, raped the girl when no one else was present at her house. The victim’s mother filed a case in this connection on Sunday morning.
Police are still searching for Belal, added the OC.
Labourer given jail sentence for harassment
A mobile court, led by Nezarat Deputy Collector Afroz Shahin, handed two months simple imprisonment to a labourer for harassing a young girl in Faridpur.
Convicted Bappi, 25, was an operator at a rock crushing plant in Shahartali’s Komorpur in the district.
According to court sources, the girl was waiting for a Dhaka bound bus at the Golden Line Paribahan counter. Bappi latched on to the girl when she entered the toilet on the first floor of the building. Locals came and rescued the girl upon hearing her screams, and handed Bappi to Kotwali police station after giving him a public beating.
Kotwali police station Sub Inspector (SI) Shamim Akter confirmed the matter.
Manager of Golden Line Paribahan, Rezaul Karim, said they will be more careful about the safety of waiting passengers from now on.
Rapist of young girl given life imprisonment
A Barisal court sentenced Saidul Rari to life imprisonment, fined him Tk. 1 lakh, and an additional three years imprisonment if the fine is unpaid.
Abu Shamim Azad, judge of Barisal Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal, delivered the verdict to the accused after examining eight out of ten witnesses.
The court ordered the release of the other accused, Mannan Bepari, finding him not guilty.
Tribunal prosecutor Advocate Faizul Huq Fayez said Saidul seduced a young girl of Laxmipur with promises of marriage. On April 23, 2010, Saidul called the girl to his relative Mannan’s house and violated her.
The victim’s family filed a case in this connection on the same day, accusing Saidul and Mannan of the crime.
SI Abdul Mazid submitted a charge sheet against both accused persons on May 29, 2010.
Our correspondents Asaduzzaman, Satkhir; Shamima Rita, Narayanganj; Md Emroz Khandakar, Pabna; Rashedul Hasan, Faridpur; and Anisur Rahman Swapan, Barishal contributed to the report.