Ex-BCL leader held for raping 10th grader

An expelled leader of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) was arrested on Friday night for raping a 10th grader in Narsingdi.

In a separate incident, law enforcers on Wednesday arrested two youths over gang-raping a teenager and trying to sell her to a brothel in Bagerhat.

The arrestee in the Narsingdi incident is Asadul Haque Chowdhury Shakil, expelled president of Raipura upazila BCL, said police.

They said Shakil developed a romantic relationship with the girl. On the evening of October 22, he took her to Government Raju Auditorium in the upazila's Srirampur area and raped her with the help of the auditorium's caretaker Sumon.

As the girl kept screaming for help, some locals rushed there and rescued her. Shakil, however, managed to flee.

Hours later, the victim's father filed a case against Shakil and Sumon with Raipura Police Station. Shakil had been absconding since then.

The day after the incident, Shakil was expelled from the BCL for violating the code of discipline of the pro-Awami League student organisation.

On Friday night, police arrested Shakil at a restaurant in Brahmanbaria's Sarail upazila, said Mohsin Quadir, officer- in-charge of Raipura Police Station.

In Bagerhat, a 19-year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped by two youths who also tried to sell her as a sex worker to a local brothel, police said.

The accused are Sumon Sharif and Mehedi Hasan, both from Mongla upazila of the district.

Quoting the victim, Mongla OC Iqbal Bahar Chowdhury said the two previously knew the girl, who is from ​​Mahalchhari area of Khagrachhari. They lured her into going to Jhenidah with them last week, falsely promising her of giving a job.

They allegedly raped the teenager multiple times at different places, he said, adding that they later brought her to Mongla and tried to sell her to a brothel.

On information, police arrested the two and rescued the victim, he added.

A case was filed against the two with the police station.

[Our correspondents in Brahmanbaria and Bagerhat contributed to this report.]