An arrest has been made over a woman being gang-raped in Noakhali, allegedly for casting her vote in favour of BNP’s electoral symbol ‘paddy sheaf.’
Police have arrested a suspect identified as Badsha Alam after the victim’s husband filed a case against nine people in the incident on Monday (Dec 31).
The victim’s husband said that the accused threatened his wife after they saw she voted for ‘paddy sheaf’ 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 recognized them but left her on the yard after much begging.
The husband alleged that while she was being taken to the Noakhali General Hospital for treatment, local thug Ruhul Amin’s men threatened their entire family with death if they divulge the attack in front of the media.
The hospital’s resident doctor Syed Mahiuddin Abdul Azam said, “That lady was admitted to the hospital on Monday (Dec 31).”
He added that her body shows multiple signs of assaults and she is being provided treatment while tests are being run.
Responding to queries about why Ruhul Amin was not accused in the case, the victim’s husband claimed that he was illiterate and told the police to write everything down. “I don’t know why they didn’t.”
He said that Ruhul Amin carried out the brutal attack on his family because he worked for Amin’s nephew Khalil, who was elected the 5 no ward Charjubilee Union Parishad member.
He demanded that a fair probe be carried out and the perpetrators be brought to justice.
However, police denied the husband’s claim of naming Ruhul Amin in the matter.
Badsha Alam has been arrested and the police have accused only those the husband named, said Charjabbar police OC Nizam Uddin.
After reaching out to him on phone, Ruhul Amin said, “I was not present at that polling centre and don’t know anything about the rape incident.
He confirmed that he is Awami League’s district unit publicity secretary.
Earlier on Tuesday National Human Rights Commission Bangladesh announced that they will probe the matter.
Meanwhile in Dhaka, leftist student body activists demonstrated in front of Press Club demanding justice.
Engineer Enamul Hoque, anthropologist Rehnuma Ahmed, Taslima Nasrin and Communist Party Bangladesh candidate Manabendra Deb were present at the protest rally.