Police have arrested a man on charges of raping and blackmailing at least 13 young women over a two-month period, with all victims reportedly from the Mirpur area.
The accused, Rashedul Islam Rabbi, 30, was arrested from the Donia area of Jatrabari, said Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Wari Division Deputy Commissioner Mallik Ahsan Uddin Sami at a press briefing at the DMP Media Centre on Wednesday.
Police described Rabbi as a “serial offender” who targeted school and college students using deception and coercion.
According to the DMP official, Rabbi created fake Facebook accounts and impersonated a woman to gain the trust of victims. After taking control of one victim’s mobile phone, he used her social media account and SIM to contact others on her friend list, also posing as a female.
He would then develop relationships with the victims and lure them to an under-construction building near Goalbari intersection in Jatrabari on various pretexts, including offering gifts. There, he allegedly raped them, recorded videos, and later used the footage to blackmail them.
Police said he also looted cash, mobile phones, and gold ornaments from the victims, and continued to extort money by threatening to release the videos on social media and pornographic platforms.
Describing recent incidents, the DC said a victim was taken to the location last Friday under the pretext of a family gathering, where she was assaulted and filmed. In another incident on Monday, a victim was held captive for around two hours, raped, and robbed after being called there on the pretext of collecting clothes.
Following a complaint filed with Jatrabari Police Station, law enforcement conducted a অভিযান in front of Donia College on Monday evening and arrested the accused. Five mobile phones belonging to victims were recovered from his possession.
Police said three cases have been filed against Rabbi under the Pornography Control Act.
“After the arrest, we have received at least 10 additional complaints, all with similar patterns. All victims are aged between 18 and 20 and reside in Mirpur,” the DC said, adding that investigations are ongoing to determine whether more victims are involved.
He also alleged that the accused used similar tactics to trap and marry his current wife.
