Gang rape attempted to be settled for Tk 10 lakh, victim goes missing after arbitration

A 19-year-old young woman has reportedly gone missing following a local arbitration session in Mymensingh's Nandail upazila, where an attempt was made to settle a gang rape incident locally for Tk 10 lakh. Neither her family nor the police have been able to confirm her current whereabouts.

According to the allegations, the young woman was raped at a house in Nandail on the night of July 31. The following day, her family filed a written complaint at the Nandail Police Station, naming five individuals.

The family alleged that when they prepared to approach the police, the victim was forcibly abducted and kept at an undisclosed location. Failing to trace her, the family subsequently lodged the written complaint with the police.

In the meantime, several local individuals initiated steps to resolve the matter through an arbitration meeting, where an attempt was reportedly made to dismiss the serious crime of rape through a Tk 10 lakh settlement.

A local resident, speaking on condition of anonymity, claimed that Tk 5 lakh was handed over to the victim during the arbitration as part of the total Tk 10 lakh settlement, while the remaining Tk 5 lakh is currently held by the arbitrating parties.

A relative of the victim also confirmed that local arbitration took place, stating that several local individuals took the initiative to settle the issue, promising to manage the legal and administrative aspects through journalists, the police, and a marriage registrar (Kazi).

Locals mentioned that individuals named Fazlu, Razzaq, Kashem, Oli Member, and Moslem, among others, were present at the arbitration. However, conflicting statements have emerged regarding their respective roles in the proceedings.

Fazlu admitted to being present at the arbitration but claimed he was merely a spectator and was not involved in any decision-making. Attempts to contact Oli Member for his comments were unsuccessful.

Meanwhile, deep concern surrounds the disappearance of the young woman. Her family states that she has remained untraceable ever since the local settlement efforts and arbitration began following the rape allegations.

Nandail Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md. Azharul Islam stated that police investigated the matter upon receiving the complaint, and the probe uncovered certain personal relationship details involving the victim, after which she was reported missing.

The OC added that taking legal action regarding the complaint becomes constrained without the victim's direct statement, though police are actively working to locate her and are also investigating the allegations of local arbitration.