Police in Jhalakathi have arrested two men following allegations that a woman was lured away from a government hospital on the pretext of being offered food and subsequently gang-raped at an undisclosed location. The assault took place in the early hours of Monday, 10 August, at approximately 3:00 am, according to local law enforcement officials.
The suspects, identified as Bellal Sikdar and Nasir, were taken into custody after police launched a swift investigation based on information provided by the survivor.
According to the victim’s account, she was waiting near the gynaecology ward of Jhalakathi Sadar Hospital when the men approached her, offering to buy her a meal. After she agreed to accompany them outside the hospital premises, the men forced her onto a motorcycle and transported her to an isolated spot. Multiple individuals then subjected her to a sexual assault before abandoning her.
The woman managed to return to the hospital grounds at dawn in a state of extreme distress. Upon hearing her cries, hospital staff intervened, admitted her for medical care, and immediately alerted the local police station.
Dr Masum Iftekhar, Superintendent of Jhalakathi Sadar Hospital, confirmed that the survivor was not an admitted inpatient at the time of the incident, though she was receiving full medical treatment and care following her readmission in the morning. To assist law enforcement in verifying the timeline and identifying all individuals involved, hospital authorities handed over CCTV footage capturing the corridors and entrance gates from the night of the attack.
Mehedi Hasan, Inspector (Investigation) at Jhalakathi Sadar Police Station, stated that officers arrived at the hospital shortly after receiving the report to initiate preliminary inquiries. Medical examinations and necessary forensic tests have been arranged for the victim.
Inspector Hasan noted that the arrests of Sikdar and Nasir followed directly from information supplied by the survivor during her initial statement. Police teams are actively conducting raids to identify and apprehend any remaining accomplices involved in the crime, while formal legal proceedings against the arrested suspects remain underway.
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