Two dancers gang-raped on boat after being called to perform at wedding

Two female dancers, one of them a minor, have been gang-raped after being called to perform at a wedding in Sarail, Brahmanbaria. Sarail Police Station police have arrested one young man in the case filed over the incident.

According to police and the case statement, the incident occurred on a boat in the Titas River in the Shahbazpur area of Sarail upazila between Thursday afternoon and evening. The two victims are residents of the Chandina area of Cumilla. They perform dance professionally at various places across the country on a contractual basis.

The case statement states that a young man named Rakib Mia contacted the victims through their Facebook page, obtaining their mobile numbers, to perform a dance at a wedding in the Shahbazpur area of Sarail. On Thursday afternoon, they reached the Sarail Bishwa Road area after agreeing to a fee of Tk 9,000. From there, Rakib and his associates took them to the base of a bridge in Shahbazpur by CNG-powered autorickshaw. They were then put on an engine-powered boat, with the promise of being taken quickly to the wedding.

When the boat reached the middle of the Titas River, the driver shut off the engine. Rakib and his associates then took the two women inside the boat's cabin and gang-raped them. When a male member accompanying them tried to intervene, the accused threatened to kill him by showing sharp weapons.

The case statement further states that the gang rape took place in the middle of the river from 5:30pm to 7pm. Later, around 8pm, the accused dropped the victims at the Bhuia Ghat area adjacent to the Titas River in Kunda of Nasirnagar upazila and left. The victims then first went to Nasirnagar Police Station to seek legal assistance. However, as the scene of the crime fell under Sarail Police Station, police advised them to file a case at Sarail Police Station.

Nasirnagar Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Shahinul Islam said, "As the scene of the crime fell under Sarail Police Station, the victims were told to take legal action by going to Sarail Police Station."

A case was filed by the victims at Sarail Police Station on Thursday night under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act. The case named Rakib Mia as the main accused and four to five unidentified individuals as accused.

Confirming the incident, Sarail Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md Manjur Kader Bhuiyan said, "One person has been arrested. Efforts are underway to arrest the other accused."

Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) of Brahmanbaria Md Jahangir Alam said, "One person has been arrested through an operation following the case. For the sake of investigation and the arrest of other accused, the identity of the arrested person is not being disclosed for now. Details will be provided after the arrest of the others."