Feni: Police have apprehended three individuals in relation to the alleged gang rape of a speech-impaired woman in the Chhagalnaiya upazila of Feni. Among the arrested is Shakib, an 18-year-old resident of Uttar Choygharia village. The other two individuals, whose identities remain undisclosed due to their status as minors, are also involved. All three are reportedly drivers of battery-run easy-bikes.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the incident occurred on Friday when the suspects reportedly lured the woman to an abandoned house in Choygharia under the guise of offering financial help. Once there, they allegedly assaulted her and subsequently left her in the house.
The matter was later brought to light, leading to a village arbitration held by some local influential figures on Monday night. The arbitration concluded with the accused being fined Tk 10,000 each, amounting to Tk 30,000 in total.
The victim’s family has accused the village arbitration of attempting to suppress the incident without informing law enforcement. Moksed Alam, a local Subhapur Union Parishad Member, stated that he did not attend the arbitration, emphasizing that such a serious crime cannot be resolved informally. He advised the victim’s family to pursue legal action.
Subsequently, the victim’s husband lodged a formal complaint at Chhagalnaiya Police Station. Officer-in-Charge Mohammad Abu Taher confirmed that the police conducted an early morning raid on Tuesday, resulting in the arrests of the three suspects.
The victim has been sent to Feni General Hospital for a medical examination. The Officer-in-Charge assured that legal actions will be pursued against any individuals found to have tried to suppress the incident through informal means, pending the results of an ongoing investigation.