Bogra town Sramik League convenor Tufan Sarker abducted a female student from her home, raped her and then asked his party cadres and a woman councillor to make sure everything was hushed up.

They, in their attempt to muffle the victim, picked up the student and her mother, tortured them for four hours and then shaved their heads, according to a report of Bangla daily Prothom Alo.

Superintendent Md Asaduzzaman of Bogra police told the daily that the brutal torture of the girl and her mother was “worse than the medieval age, and a total violation of human rights”.

“The culprits would not be spared even if they are big fish,” he said.

Police said the mother filed a rape and torture case against 10 people, including Tufan, his wife Asha Sarkar, and Asha's elder sister and Bogra municipality woman councillor Marzia Akter.

Police arrested Tufan, his associates Ali Azam of Chaksutrapur Khaipatti of the town, Atiqur Rahman of Khander, and Rupom of Kalitala.

The female councillor and her sister were on the run, police told the Bangla daily.

The victim, who passed SSC this year and was to get into a college, and her mother were admitted to Bogra Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College Hospital.

While briefing reporters yesterday, spokesperson for Bogra district police Additional SP Sanatan Chakrabarty said, "Tufan Sarker, in primary interrogation, admitted that he raped the student alluring her with a promise to get her into a college."

Arrestee Atiqur Rahman also admitted the rape and issued a statement before a court, the ASP said.

The victim and police said her father is a small trader. Her mother was a garment worker in Dhaka but had returned to Bogra quitting her job a few days ago.