A 20-year-old college student and her 15-year-old niece were allegedly gang-raped while visiting a park in Goalanda Upazila, Rajbari, on Tuesday (August 5) night, according to a case filed by the college student’s father at Goalanda Ghat Police Station. On Friday (August 8), a case was lodged naming seven individuals as accused.Police have arrested three suspects in connection with the incident: Faisal Sheikh (22) from Bil Mamudpur village under Faridpur Kotwali Police Station, Rakib Mollah (21) from Daraper Dangi village in Goalanda, and Sajib Mollah (24) from Gani Sheikh’s neighborhood in Ujanchar, Goalanda. On Friday afternoon, the three were produced in court under the rape charges. The college student, currently appearing for her HSC exams from a government college in Faridpur, has an exam scheduled for Sunday. The younger victim, an eighth grader, studies at a secondary school in Faridpur town. The two are aunt and niece by relation.
According to police and the victim’s family, Faisal Sheikh had been harassing the college student while she traveled to college. Several months ago, her father sought intervention from Faisal’s father, which further enraged Faisal. Despite getting married elsewhere, Faisal continued to contact the college student occasionally over the phone. He works at a furniture shop near Godhuli Park in Goalanda.
The case statement reveals that on Tuesday afternoon, Faisal called the college student and invited her to visit Godhuli Park. She arrived at the park in the afternoon with her niece and a friend, Sohan. Around dusk, four to five unidentified youths took the trio to a nearby house inside the park, where they snatched two mobile phones and 5,000 taka in cash. After dusk, Faisal, under the pretext of escorting them, deliberately delayed their departure. Around 9:00 PM, he took them to a dirt road in Riaz Uddin Para, Ujanchar, where, with his assistance, five to six individuals raped the college student and her niece. They were threatened with death if they disclosed the incident. The victims later fled to a local house for refuge.
Local resident Rayhan Mollah told Prothom Alo that around 10:30 PM on Tuesday, the two girls, crying and nearly unclothed, sought shelter at his home. After learning about the incident, he informed the college student’s father, who arrived around midnight to take them home.
On Thursday night, locals apprehended Faisal, Rakib, and Sajib in the Abuler Dokan area of Ujanchar, assaulted them, and handed them over to the police. Mohammad Rakibul Islam, Officer-in-Charge of Goalanda Ghat Police Station, confirmed that the three arrested individuals were sent to Rajbari District Court around 3:00 PM on Friday. The victims were also sent to court to record their statements, and medical examinations are scheduled for Saturday. He added that operations are ongoing to apprehend the remaining suspects, and no one involved will be spared.
