Gang-rape of girl surfaces in Chandpur

An incident of gang-rape of a girl has surfaced in Chandpur that reveals how locals tried to hush up the incident with money and power.

Currently, the victim, from Datra village of Hajiganj upazila, is eight months pregnant, our local correspondent reports. Police came to know of the incident today.

Four youths – Rabbi, 19, Meraj, 22, Ismail, 21, and Arefin alias Aminul, 20 – said to have gang-raped the victim, a girl from a low-living family.

The victim was admitted to the local upazila health complex three months ago where her pregnancy was discovered – leading to the unveiling of the gangrape incident.

When news of the incident spread, locals of the village informed the matter to the South Gandharbapur Union Parishad Chairman Md Gias Uddin.

The chairman tried to mediate the issue with influential locals around 15 days ago and arranged that the rapists would give Tk 6 lakh to the family of the victim.

The mediation board also decided to marry the girl off with one of the accused, Mostofa Kamal, a member of the mediation group, told The Daily Star.

Union Parishad Member Wahedul Islam was handed the money, Mostafa said. However, the money is yet to be handed over to the victim or her family.

Md Alamgir Hossain, officer-in-charge of Hajiganj Police Station, said he was unaware of the incident and came to know about it through journalists today.

“As we have heard about it now, we will take necessary steps,” he told The Daily Star.

UP Chairman Md Gias Uddin told The Daily Star: “After hearing the news of the girl's pregnancy, I informed the locals, but didn't inform the police about it.”