Railway authorities have arrested a catering attendant following allegations of sexual assault made by a 44-year-old female passenger aboard the intercity Kurigram Express. Two unidentified police officers assigned to train security have also been named in the case.
The incident occurred late on Sunday night inside the dining car of the train as it travelled from Dhaka towards Kurigram.
The victim formally lodged a complaint on Tuesday, 1 September, at the Santahar Railway Police Station. Acting on the charges, railway police arrested the primary suspect, 22-year-old Abu Bakkar Siddique, a native of the Abdulpur area in Natore district, and produced him before a local court.
According to the first information report and police statements, the passenger, a resident of Sirajganj Sadar, boarded the intercity train at Dhaka’s Biman Bandar station on Sunday night. Because the Kurigram Express does not stop at Sirajganj, she planned to travel to Parbatipur Junction in Dinajpur before making her way to a relative’s residence.
During the journey, the woman visited the dining car, where the catering attendant allegedly took advantage of the situation to assault her. The complaint further implicates two duty police officers deployed on the train for security, alleging negligence or complicity during the incident.
The Officer-in-Charge of Santahar Railway Police Station confirmed that a formal case has been registered under the Prevention of Women and Children Repression Act. Investigators are examining the precise sequence of events to ascertain whether the security personnel played an active or passive role in the crime.
As part of the ongoing investigation, the victim was sent to the Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College Hospital in Bogura, where forensic medical examinations were conducted. Police stated that necessary legal steps will follow based on the medical findings and further interrogation of the suspect.
