The Detective Branch of police has arrested another accused in connection to the rape of a woman in Noakhali, allegedly for casting her vote in favour of BNP’s electoral symbol ‘paddy sheaf.’

29-year-old Henju Majhi was arrested on early Friday (Jan 11) from Cumilla’s Daudkandi, said police.

“Henju's name came up during the investigation. The victim had his name on the rape case’s list of accused,” said Noakhali district Detective Branch Officer Md Abul Khayer.

"He had fled right after the incident and had been hired as an assistant on a Dhaka-Chattogram bus service. However, responding to a tip-off we were able to arrest him,” said Khayer.

"He will be produced before the court after interrogation,” he added.

So far 11 people have been arrested in connection to the incident.

On Dec 31, a 30-year-old mother of four was gang-raped, allegedly by a group of local Awami League members.

The victim’s husband filed a case against nine people with the Charjabbar police station on Dec 31.

He said that the accused threatened his wife after they saw she voted for ‘paddy sheaf’ in the 11th Parliamentary Election held on Dec 30.

A group of people knocked at our door saying they were the police and barged in after 12 am,” he said.

“They tied me and my children up and took my wife outside where they raped her and beat her up indiscriminately,” he added.

He said that the 15-16 men involved were about to murder his wife when she recognised them, but left her on the yard after she pleaded for her life.

The husband alleged that while she was being taken to the Noakhali General Hospital for treatment, local thug and Awami League’s district unit publicity secretary, Ruhul Amin’s men threatened their entire family if they divulged the attack to the media.