'Attempted rape' of Garo woman triggers protest in capital

Around 200 Garo people yesterday afternoon took to the streets at Nordda Progati Sarani after a man allegedly attempted to rape a Garo woman in the capital's Uttara on Sunday morning.

The protesters under the banner of Bangladesh Garo Chhatra Sangstha left the place later after police assured them of justice.            

Police also arrested the man, Shafiullah Dewan, a resident of Uttara, early yesterday following a case filed over the incident on Sunday afternoon.

Shafiullah followed the 23-year-old girl home from her workplace and forced himself on her seeing that none was inside, said Officer-in-Charge of Dakkhin Khan Police Station Syed Lutfar Rahman.

However, he fled the scene when the victim cried for help, the OC said adding that she works at a beauty parlour and lives with her husband who was not present at that time.

In May last year, a 21-year-old Garo woman was gang raped in a running microbus after she was forcibly bundled into it by five men from Kuril Bus Stand area where she was waiting to catch a bus.