'Rape' in Banani: Lone accused arrested

The lone accused in the latest rape case filed in the capital by a college girl was arrested yesterday.

The arrestee, Bahauddin Ivan, 28, who had come to know the girl through Facebook, invited her to a purported birthday party of his at his Banani residence on Tuesday night and then raped her, according to the first information report.

The Rapid Action Battalion arrested Ivan at a residence in Majdair area of Narayanganj around 4:30pm, said Lt Col Kamrul Hasan, commanding officer of Rab 11.

“We are now interrogating Ivan regarding his involvement but yet to get any information from him,” he said. 

Meanwhile, forensic test of the victim was conducted at Dhaka Medical College.

A five-member medical team led by Dr Sohel Mahmud, head of the DMC Forensic Medicine Department, collected samples of blood and urine for tests and conducted X- Ray and High Vaginal Swab(HVS) on the victim. A team of Banani police then took her to the victim support centre of Dhaka Metropolitan Police.

It may take three to four weeks to get the forensic report, Sohel told The Daily Star.

“As the victim came for the forensic test within 48 hours after rape, we are expecting to get proof of the rape incident,” he said.

The 21-year-old college student filed the rape case with Banani Police Station accusing Ivan. In her complaint, she said they had got to know each other on Facebook 11 months ago. They started dating since then.

On Tuesday, Ivan called her and invited her to a birthday party that day at his house at Banani on Road-2. But the girl didn't see any sign of birthday celebration upon reaching there. 

Later, Ivan drugged her and raped her in his room, the victim said in the complaint.  When she started screaming, Ivan drove her out of the house. 

In a visit to Ivan's residence, this correspondent didn't see any member of his family.

Rafiqul Islam, assistant commissioner of Gulshan zone, said Ivan is a married person and father of two children. Ivan had met the victim a number of times outside his residence.

“We are now trying to get the CCTV footage of the area to see the victim's movement.”

Another source said the victim was a divorcee and mother of a child.

She got married in 2011 and gave birth to a girl child two years later. She divorced her husband in 2014. The victim used to work as a TV actress, according to a source.

Earlier in March, two university students were allegedly raped after a birthday party at a Banani hotel. Police have pressed charges against five accused in the case.