Gang-rape: 1 jailed in Habiganj

A Habiganj court today sent a youth to jail after he was produced before it in a case filed over gang-rape of a college student in the district’s Chunarughat upazila on Tuesday.

The arrestee was identified as Shamim Ahmed Mamun, 22, the alleged lover of the 19-year-old victim, reports our Moulvibazar correspondent quoting police.

Shamim, son of Maksud Ali of Batashor village under Habiganj Sadar upazila, was arrested from a relative’s house in the village last night in the case, said Sheikh Nazmul Haque, officer-in-charge of Chunarughat Police Station.

He was sent to jail after being produced before the court today, the OC said.

On Tuesday afternoon, Shamim took the victim to Satchari National Park in the upazila where he and his associates -- Fazlur Rahman, 24, Ali Hossain, 25, and Juned Latif, 27, -- took turns to violate her while another associate Akkas Ali stood on guard, according to the case statement.

The culprits left the victim severely injured on the spot, before she was rescued by locals and admitted to Habiganj Sadar Hospital where she is now being treated.

The victim later filed a complaint with the Habiganj's Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-2 against five accused including Shamim on Wednesday.

Judge Zia Uddin Mahmud of the tribunal directed Chunarughat Police Station to investigate the complaint after registering it as first information report (FIR), said Advocate Ataur Rahman, lawyer for the plaintiff.

The law enforcers are carrying out drives to arrest the other accused in the case the OC added.

On December 11 last year, a schoolgirl was also gang-rapes at the park.

In a separate incident, police today arrested a youth in a case filed over stalking and sexually harassing a schoolgirl in Baniachong upazila of the district.

The arrestee was identified as Suman Mia, 22, a resident of Jatrapasha village in the upazila, our Moulvibazar correspondent reports quoting police.

Victim’s mother filed the case yesterday with Baniachong Police Station accusing three persons including Shamim, and one Zahid Ahmed, 20, son of Shalauddin of the same village.

According to the case statement, the victim, a ninth-grade student of a local high school, has been sexually harassed by Zahid on her way to school.

On August 4 last year, the student lodged a written complaint to Baniachong UNO and the following day the victim’s mother made a general diary with the police station.

Enraged by this, Zahid and his associates threatened the victim and later on January 8 this year they published pornographic posters using the victim’s photos in different areas in the upazila, the statement read.

Yesterday, victim’s mother filed a case against three including Zahid, said Ranjan Kumar Samanta, officer-in-charge of Baniachong Police Station.

Police are conducting drives to arrest the other accused in the case, the OC added.