One held over gang rape of schoolgirl in Gaibandha

Members of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) on Saturday arrested a young man for his alleged involvement in the gang rape of a schoolgirl six months ago in Gaibandha's Phulchhari upazila.

Roni Mia - one of the alleged rapists - was arrested from the Balasighat area of Phulchhari upazila, said a press release.

According to the case statement, the victim, a resident of Radhakrishnan Pur, Ramchandrapur Union of Gaibandha Sadar Upazila, left home on April 12, 2023, to elope with her boyfriend.

But her lover left her in the Balasighat area of Phulchari upazila. Not finding her lover till evening, she waited in the area. Sensing the opportunity, three youths of the area, took the girl on a boat saying that they would find her lover.

Later, they took her to the deserted pastures of the Brahmaputra River and raped her in turn for two days.

On the morning of April 14, they dropped the girl again in the Balasighat area and fled. When the victim explained her ordeal to the people, they called her guardians and handed over the girl to them.

Later, a case was filed at Phulchhari police station against the three rapists following a complaint lodged by the victim’s father Shahed Mia.

The arrestee was handed over to Phulchhari police station this afternoon.