Police arrested five people from different parts of Gazipur on Tuesday night in connection with the rape of a local singer.
Mahbub A Khoda, officer-in-charge of Kashimpur Police Station, said a team of police conducted drives in different parts of the district and arrested Russel Talukdar, Jahangir Alam, Sumon Mia, Zahir Uddin and Sahabul alias Aijul.
On January 31, the girl, an on-stage singer of Konabari in Gazipur city, was raped by five people at the house of Russel Talukdar in Sardaganj area of Kashimpur.
Police said Russel took the girl to his home at night on that day alluring her that they would arrange a stage-music event for her. But Russel and his friends violated the girl in turns at his home.
However, the girl managed to flee his home and filed a case with Kashimpur Police Station. Later, police conducted the drive and arrested the five on charges of rape.
Rape in Bangladesh
The incidents of rape are on the rise in Bangladesh although the country has introduced death penalty for the heinous crime.
According to data compiled by Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK), a rights group, 1,018 children were raped last year alone but only 683 cases were filed with police stations. Among the victims, 116 were of 6 years of age or even below six.
Overall, 1,627 incidents of rape were documented last year and 53 of them were killed after rape and 14 took their own lives, the ASK data reveals.
In November last, Bangladesh introduced the death penalty for rape cases, following days of protests against sexual violence against women.
Although many appreciated the government for introducing the death penalty, gang rapes in Bangladesh have continued to hit headlines.
In October last, the country was rocked by huge protests after a woman was attacked and raped in Noakhali district. In another incident in Sylhet a week later, a woman was gang-raped at a hostel, triggering nationwide protests again.
