News recently spread on social media and newspapers claiming that a woman was gang-raped while visiting her husband in Dhamrai, Dhaka. However, the woman identified as the victim and the man who introduced her as his wife, Abdur Razzak, stated that no rape had occurred. The incident was, in fact, a case of robbery and kidnapping, said police.
On January 15, Abdur Razzak, a truck driver for a contracting company, visited Krishnachandra Mani Das in Ramrabon with a woman he presented as his wife. Due to limited space, they stayed at Krishnachandra’s sister’s house nearby. Around 1:30 am, five unidentified men entered the house, robbed the couple of jewelry, mobile phones, and about Tk17,000, and beat Abdur Razzak. The intruders threatened them not to report the incident and left after about five minutes. Neighboring residents, including Shilpi Mani Das, confirmed hearing a commotion but did not witness any sexual assault.
Despite this, four days later, newspapers reported that the woman had been gang-raped, held hostage, tied to a pole, and robbed of large amounts of gold jewelry. The reports also claimed that the couple was threatened and assaulted by local youths. The false news originated from a local journalist, Abdul Mannan, who received information from a resident, Nepal Chandra Mani Das. Mannan, who has prior criminal cases including extortion and attempted murder, has since gone into hiding.
Dhamrai Police Station OC Nazmul Huda Khan and Inspector Shahidul Islam, visited the scene and confirmed that no rape had taken place. Abdur Razzak and locals reiterated that the sexual assault allegations were false. When contacted, Razzak denied any such incident.
The case illustrates how misinformation can quickly escalate on social media, distorting facts and causing panic, harassment, and defamation. It also highlights the need for careful verification by journalists before reporting sensitive incidents to prevent reputational harm and unnecessary fear.
