Hotel owner arrested over woman's rape in Kurigram

Police in Kurigram's Chilmari upazila have arrested a residential hotel owner on allegations of raping a married woman who had checked into the hotel with her family for an overnight stay.

The accused, identified as Kabir Mia, 45, owner of a local residential hotel, was arrested following a complaint filed by the victim's husband, police said on Friday night.

According to police and the complainant's account, the couple, residents of the Ghughumarir Char area in Ulipur upazila, were returning home from a relative's house in Saidpur on May 28.

After reaching the Romna ferry terminal at night and finding no available boat service, they checked into a residential hotel named Hotel Koli in the Romna Ghat area.

The victim's husband alleged that he left his wife and their eight-month-old child in the hotel room while he went to Thanahat Bazar to buy food. Upon returning, he found his wife distressed and in tears.

The woman later alleged that the hotel owner had forcibly raped her in the room while her infant child was present.

The victim's husband said he informed hotel authorities about the incident, but they allegedly did not take any action. The following day, he contacted a local union parishad member and later called the national emergency service 999, prompting police intervention.

After receiving the complaint, Chilmari police went to the hotel on Friday evening and brought the woman, her husband and their child to the police station. A rape case was subsequently filed with Chilmari Model Police Station, with the victim's husband named as the complainant.

Officer-in-Charge Nayan Kumar of Chilmari Model Police Station said the accused had been arrested and sent to jail through a court order.

The allegations remain under investigation, and the accused has not publicly responded to the claims. Under Bangladeshi law, criminal allegations are considered unproven unless established in court.