Indigenous woman gang raped, minor attempted to rape amid flood in Bangladesh

Molly Barua

An indigenous woman has allegedly been gang raped by settlers in Ramgarh upazila of Khagrachari hill district in Bangladesh while a minor from indigenous Chakma community and woman from Tanchangya community of the country were attempted to rape amid flood .

A group of 6-8 settlers men went to the 45-year-old victim’s house in Patachhara Union, and picked her and her teenage daughter around 11:10pm on Thursday, said Debapriyo Das, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Ramgarh police station.

The criminals forcefully dragged the mother and her daughter into a nearby banana plantation where they raped her, said the OC adding the daughter somehow managed to flee.

A case has been filed in this connection with the Ramgarh Police Station, said the OC.

The victim identified three criminals who were Foisal,24, Md Rana,25, and Md Yunus 27 of Matupara area of the upazila, the OC added.

Our team is working to arrest the alleged rapists, he said.

Khagrachhari hill district has been badly affected by flash floods due to heavy rain for the last few days while Bandarban and Rangamati also affected by flood in recent days.

Meanwhile, an eight year old indigenous minor was attempted to rape by one settler in Rangamati’s Banorupa area on Friday afternoon said Md Shahed, inspector (investigation) of Kotowali police station Rangamati.

We also arrested the alleged criminal, Md Habibur Rahman, the police official said.

Another indigenous woman who was from Tanchangya community was also attempted to rape in Bandarban’s Naikyangchhari upazila on Friday afternoon.

The accused was caught by locals and handed over to the police later.