Ex-BCL man held over 'rape of 6'

Arif Hossain

Police yesterday arrested an expelled BCL leader who allegedly raped six women and circulated video clips of the incidents among locals in Shariatpur's Gosairhat upazila.

Arif Hossain Howlader was arrested in Jayantika river near Saikka Bridge area in the upazila around 4:30pm.

Thandar Khairul Hasan, assistant superintendent of police (Gosairhat circle) in Shariatpur, said Arif was coming to Gosairhat in a trawler from Chandpur's Faridganj. The law enforcers tracked down his cell phone location and made the arrest.

He was later taken to Bhedarganj Police Station. 

Arif was the general secretary of Narayanpur union BCL under Bhedarganj upazila in the district. On November 11, one of the six women filed a case with Bhedarganj Police under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act.  He was expelled from Chhatra League, the pro-ruling Awami League student body, on the same day.

Police said Arif allegedly raped the six women and captured the incidents on hidden cameras. Later, he circulated the videos among some locals.

Unable to deal with the social stigma, two of women stopped going to college, one left home, and the in-laws of another asked her to leave their house.