Case Filed Over Gang Rape in Panchagarh

A formal case has been registered with the police following the gang rape of an 18-year-old woman and the attempted rape of her aunt in Debiganj Upazila under the Panchagarh district. The case was filed on Tuesday night by the young woman’s father. The First Information Report (FIR) names three local youths and includes three other unidentified individuals as accused.

Both victims are currently admitted to the Panchagarh Modern Sadar Hospital, where they are receiving medical treatment. According to police sources, procedures are underway to conduct their medical examinations and record their official statements before a court of law.

Background and Sequence of Events

According to police and the details detailed in the case statement, the 18-year-old woman resides with her parents in an isolated rural area of Debiganj. The family also owns an allocated house in a nearby government asylum project (Asrayan Project), where they frequently stay. Recently, the young woman’s maternal aunt came to visit the family at their village residence.

On Sunday afternoon, the young woman and her aunt went to a nearby locality to attend a cultural programme. They returned to the village home at approximately 10:00 pm. Prior to their arrival, the woman’s parents had locked the external corrugated tin door of the house and left for their alternative residence at the asylum project.

Finding themselves locked out, the two women noticed an unfamiliar man standing near the premises. Due to the isolation of the area, they approached the individual and requested his assistance in hiring a battery-operated van to transport them to the asylum project. The man agreed to look for a vehicle and walked away.

Details of the Assault

A short while later, the man returned to the scene in a battery-operated van, accompanied by five other men. Upon arrival, the group launched a coordinated assault on the two women, splitting them up to commit the offences.

During the assault by the river, the aunt resisted and managed to escape from the perpetrators following a physical altercation. She fled the scene and returned to her niece’s house at around 1:15 am. Upon her arrival, the three men who were inside the house fled immediately.

Medical Transfer and Legal Action

The two women remained at the property until Monday morning, when they walked to the asylum project residence to inform their family about the ordeal. The family initially took them to the Debiganj Upazila Health Complex for emergency care. On Monday night, medical professionals transferred both victims to the Panchagarh Modern Sadar Hospital for advanced clinical management.

Prabir Kumar Sarker, the Inspector (Investigation) of Debiganj Police Station, confirmed the developments over the phone. He stated that the victims are under supervision at the Panchagarh Modern Sadar Hospital, where their forensic medical examinations are being processed. Furthermore, legal steps are being taken to present them to court to record their depositions under statutory provisions. Law enforcement agencies are conducting ongoing raids to apprehend the named and unnamed suspects.