Key accused still at large

The key accused in a schoolgirl gang-rape case filed with Jamalpur Sadar Police Station on January 28 are yet to be arrested.

The girl, 16, only daughter of a poor widow of Dewanipara village, was gang-raped by a group allegedly led by Sabbir Hossain Akanda Setu, 23, president of Jubo League's ward No-3 unit of Kendua union, and son of Abdul Mannan Akanda of Kendua Gopalpur village, in Sadar upazila on January 26 night.

Two other accused, who are still at large, are Babu, 24, son of Golam Mostafa, and Shakil, 19, of Dewanipara village.

The girl, 16, then an SSC candidate, attended a religious gathering at local Hafijia Madrasa ground along with her mother and a cousin on the night.

A gang led by Setu caught the two girls when they went to buy snacks from a makeshift shop near the religious gathering around 11:00pm.

“The cousin managed to free herself while the gang took the victim to a desolate place at Abirerchar, over half a kilometre away. They raped her, leaving her unconscious,” said Inspector Tariqul Islam, also investigation officer (IO) of the case.

“Some people returning after the function took her to her home and she received treatment at Jamalpur General Hospital. Her mother filed a rape case accusing five named youths and four to five unnamed people on January 28,” he said.

Of the named accused, Rifat, 20, and Minhaj, 19, of Dewanipara village were arrested on February 4. We are continuing drives to arrest the others including the key accused,” he said.

The union Jubo League expelled Setu for his alleged involvement in the gang-rape, said Farhan Ahmed, general secretary of the district Jubo League.

Demanding arrest of the key accused, the victim's mother said, “Meanwhile, some local influential people are pressing me to settle the case through arbitration.”