'Rape victim' kills herself

A 16-year-old girl committed suicide on Tuesday night after she was reportedly raped in Chandpur village under Jagannathpur upazila of Sunamganj last week, her family said.

The victim lived with her parents in a tin-shed house in Chandpur area. She was a student of HSC second year at a local college.

The victim's father alleged that his daughter was returning from college on July 27 afternoon when CNG driver Yunus Miah and his gang picked her up. They forcibly took her to a jungle near Chokachimpur area where they raped her repeatedly that day and night.

Later they fled the area leaving the girl unconscious. Locals found her later.

Yunus, 28, is from Chokachimpur village in the same upazila.

To cover up the crime, Yunus along with others from the village forced the girl to marry him and alleged that she had illicit affair with Yunus, the victim's father told The Daily Star.

Some local influential people took part in an arbitration to solve the 'problem', he said. 

Arbitrator Arif Ullah told this correspondent, “Yunus and the victim's father are relatives. They asked me for arbitration. I helped them solve the problem.”

Victim's older sister Runa Begum said, “Yunus has been stalking my sister for a long time. He disturbed her regularly on her way back from the college. She rejected Yunus and that is why Yunus and his gang raped her.”

“My sister was very upset and felt insulted by the arbitration. She took her life by taking poison Tuesday night following this humiliation.”

Moin Ahmed, officer-in-charge (investigation) of Jagannathpur Police Station, said the victim's father made a complaint to me verbally.

Harun-ur-Rashid, OC of Jagannathpur Police Station, said no formal case had been filed yet. The alleged rapists were in hiding since the suicide, he said.