Md Sabbir Hossain Akand alias Setu, president of ward unit of Jamalpur Juba League, and six of his accomplices have been made accused in the gangrape case filed with the local police station. Juba League is the youth front of the ruling Awami League.
The incident took place around 11:00pm on Friday,
when the female student along with family members went to waz mahfil (religious gathering of sermons). As she came out of the pavilion to buy some Bhapa Pitha or steamed cake, Sabbir Hossain and others picked her up to a nearby water pump of a rice field and raped her one after another, said the victim.
She recalled, “They picked me up wrapping my mouth before I could sense anything. Juba League leader Setu repeatedly slapped me and beat me up with his belt.”
“Setu raped me first and then did Mohammad Rifat. Others were filming the scene,” the victim said making it clear that she had recognised them.
Her mother filed a case accusing seven people, including Sabbir with sadar police station on Saturday.
The other accused are Mohammad Rifat, Md Babu Mia, Md Minhaz, Md Shakil and two unidentified persons.
When the rapists dumped the victim, she returned home with the help of a local man. She was taken to local hospital on Saturday night once she fell sick.
“We’re trying to give our daughter education despite financial hardship. She is expected to appear in SSC exams, in a few days. But the beasts picked her up from the waz mahfil and did this to her,” the devastated mother of the victim lamented.
She pointed out that those who did this are the sons of powerful families. “They threatened my daughter to kill her if she discloses this. They also threatened her to publish video and pictures,” the mother said.
“Is there any justice for the poor? How will my daughter sit for the exams now?” she cried out.
When contacted, Saiful Islam, Juba League’s general secretary of Sadar upazila, said, “Juba League will not take responsibility of this kind of acts. He has already been suspended from the party and the committee been dissolved as well.”
The victim is undergoing treatment. A medical team of three members has been formed over the incident and the evidences were sent for examinations, said Md Shafikuzzaman, a residential doctor at Jamalpur General Hospital.
Sadar police station officer-in-charge (OC) Nasimul Islam said the police conducted several raids in the area to detain the accused after a rape case was filed.
“They all have already been on the run. But, the accused will be caught soon,” the OC added.
