Police have arrested four juvenile gang members for their alleged involvement in the gang rape of two teenage girls at Ashulia in Savar, on the outskirts of Dhaka.

All the arrestees are below the age of 18, reports our correspondent quoting Md Kamruzzaman, officer-in-charge (OC) of Ashulia police station.

The OC, however, did not divulge the identities of the arrestees for the sake of the ongoing investigation, he claimed.

On information that two teenage girls got raped by gang members recently, a team of police conducted a drive at Vadail area of Ashulia and made the arrest today, the OC informed.

The OC said they are investigating the allegation of filming the gang incidents and leaking it on social media.

"The two rape survivors are friends. One of the victim's friends said they were employed at a factory in Ashulia and paid a visit at Ashulia's Vadail area around a month ago. 12 to 14 youths belonging to Prince Kishore gang grabbed them and took them to a remote place nearby and gang raped them there," the OC said, quoting a male friend who was a close friend to the victims.

They also filmed the incident and leaked it on social media, which forced the two teenage girls to return to their respective villages after leaving their jobs.

The male friend of the victims was also beaten by the gang members after the gang-rape.

As the videos of the incident leaked, Akbar Ali, father of Saruf, head of the teenage gang, tried to conceal the issue through local influential persons by providing money to the victims' family, but failed.

Left Democratic Alliance (LDA), a coalition of eight left-leaning political parties, yesterday demanded exemplary punishment, under a speedy trial, for all culprits involved with the Noakhali gang-rape.

Speaking at a press briefing at Mukti Bhaban in Dhaka, the alliance leaders also demanded that the authorities concerned provide adequate security and treatment to the victim and her family members.

LDA organised the briefing after an alliance team visited the victim at Noakhali General Hospital and went to her house in Subarnachar upazila on Friday.

Early December 31, hours after the 11th parliamentary election, the mother of four was gang-raped allegedly by 10 to 12 Awami League men.

Quoting the victim's neighbours, the coalition, in a written statement, said the rape accused were locally known as “miscreants” for their involvement in various crimes.

LDA said a sense of insecurity was prevailing among locals as the accused are involved with the ruling party. They [accused], through their cohorts, have also threatened the victim and her family, it added.

“The rape in Noakhali isn't an isolated incident. It is a direct reflection of bankruptcy of the country's social and economic system…,” said Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) President Mujahidul Islam Selim at the briefing.

It is the result of the ruling party's effort to remain in power through intimidation, he added.

About the role of Jatiya Party as opposition in the new parliament, he alleged that it has been staged by AL to create a “fake” opposition in the “fake” parliament.

“Ershad said he is the opposition party leader [in the parliament]. It's ridiculous… They [JP] participated in the election as part of the AL-led grand alliance,” he said.

In the afternoon, Nari Samhati, a pro-women body of Ganosamhati Andolan, formed a human chain in front of Jatiya Press Club, demanding justice for the victim.

“We cannot find any hope for justice from this illegal government that assumed power through a farcical election… a woman was also raped by activists of the ruling party,” said Shamoli Shil, president of Nari Samhati.

She urged the countrymen to launch a tougher movement so that no one dares to commit such atrocity in the future.

Taslima Akhter, vice-president of Nari Samhati, alleged that AL activists raped the woman in Noakhali to establish their dominance so that people, out of fear, remain silent.

She also alleged that the incidents of rape, abduction, killing and attack on minorities are increasing as political parties are failing to uphold democratic values properly.

A female worker of a ceramic factory was “gang-raped” by two unidentified youths in Dhamrai, on the outskirts of Dhaka.

The incident took place on March 2, but it came to light today after the victim filed a case with Dhamrai Police Station, our Savar correspondent reports quoting police.

Quoting victim’s family members, Dipok Saha, officer-in-charge of Dhamrai Police Station, said the seventeen-year-old girl, a worker of a local ceramic factory in Dhamrai, went to Shoilan village to visit a fair on March 2.

Two youths intercepted the girl on the way of her home at night and forcefully took the girl to an abandoned place where they raped her, he said.

However, she returned to her house, but did not disclose the matter to family members immediately as the rapists threatened to kill her, the police official said adding that they were trying to arrest the rapists.

The victim has been sent to One-Stop Crisis Center of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) for the medical test, the OC further added.

Rape case filed against cop in Bagerhat

A case has been filed against a police constable for his alleged involvement in raping a college girl in Sadar upazila of Bagerhat on March 3.

The victim’s mother filled the case with Bagerhat Model Police Station last night, our Bagerhat correspondent reports quoting police.

A constable of Khulna police has been made the prime accused in the case, said Officer-in-Charge of Bagerhat Model Police Station Mohammad Mahtab Uddin.

Two sisters were allegedly gang-raped in Tongi on Tuesday night, while a man was arrested on charges of raping a minor girl in Narayanganj.

Quoting the victims, police said the two sisters, aged between 17 and 18, went to Tongi from the capital’s Badda area around 8:00pm to visit their relatives.

After reaching Tongi, they tried to contact their relatives over mobile phone. But they found their phones switched off. They were waiting on the bank of Turag.

At that time, an unknown woman approached them and asked for their relatives’ address. Then the woman told the victims to walk in a certain direction for a few minutes to get to their relatives’ house.

The girls started walking forward. Then five youths suddenly appeared before them and forced them onto a boat. The youths took the boat to a remote place and raped the girls. 

When the victims started screaming, locals rushed to the spot and rescued the girls. But the youths managed to flee.

Yesterday, one of the victims filed a case against five youths with Tongi West Police Station. Of the accused, three were identified as Sharif Hossain, 22, Nayeem, 22, and Russell, 19.  

The girls were sent to Shaheed Taj Uddin Ahmad Medical College Hospital in Gazipur for tests.  

The victims knew one of the accused, said Emdadul Haque, officer-in-charge of the police station.

In Narayanganj, Rab arrested a man for raping a four and half-year-old girl in Sonargaon upazila on Tuesday night. 

The arrestee is Jibon, 27, a resident of Olipur of the same upazila.

Quoting the victim’s family, Rab said the girl and the accused are relatives and neighbours.    

Around 1:00pm on Monday, Jibon took the girl to his room and raped her, said Alep Uddin, senior assistant director of Rab-11, in a press release yesterday.

After returning home, the girl told her father about the incident. 

As the girl’s condition was deteriorating, she was admitted to the upazila health complex on Tuesday.

The girl was later moved to Narayanganj General Hospital for better treatment, said the Rab official, adding that the victim’s father filed a rape case against Jibon with Sonargaon Police Station yesterday.  

Our Gazipur and Narayanganj correspondents contributed to this report. 

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir today called upon the people of the country to stand against the violence spree centering the December 30 election.

"We call upon the countrymen as well as the Election Commission to bring an end to this violence," Mirza Fakhrul said at a press brief at a Cumilla restaurant, on his way to Noakhali today.

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Rape in Noakhali: Nine sued except 'who ordered it'

He is going to Noakhali to visit the woman who was raped at midnight of December 31.

The BNP leader condemned the rape incident and said this is an example of the pre and post-polls violence spree all across the country.

Awami League and the country's administration turned into public enemies through stealing votes in this election yet again, he further said.

What happened in Noakhali?

A mother of four was gang-raped in Noakhali's Subarnachar area on December 31 allegedly by 10 to 12 Awami League activists.

The 35-year-old woman, who was being treated at Noakhali General Hospital with severe injuries, claimed that she was raped for voting for "sheaf of paddy", the electoral symbol of the BNP, during Sunday's national polls. 

The woman alleged the rapists were accomplices of Ruhul Amin, a former member of Char Jubilee Union Parishad. "They had repeatedly insisted that I should vote for boat [the AL's symbol] but I cast my ballot for 'sheaf of paddy'," she said.