Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) officers have arrested a 30-year-old man in Gazipur following allegations of gang rape, video blackmail, and extortion targeting the wife of an expatriate worker in Thakurgaon’s Ranishankail upazila.
The suspect, identified as Al Amin, son of Mohammad Hanif from Hatgaon village in Ranishankail, was apprehended on Friday night during a targeted operation in the Bhowraid Morr area, under the jurisdiction of Gazipur Sadar Police Station. Senior officials from the elite crime-fighting unit confirmed details of the arrest during a press briefing on Saturday afternoon.
According to investigative sources, the incident occurred after the perpetrators forcibly entered the victim’s residence. The group subjected the woman to a sexual assault and recorded the act on a mobile device without her consent. Following the attack, the suspects allegedly used the recorded footage to threaten the victim, demanding a substantial sum of money and warning that the video would be published across social media platforms if their demands were not met.
Unable to endure the persistent intimidation, the victim lodged a formal complaint with the local police, prompting a criminal investigation into the gang rape and extortion attempt. Sensing impending legal action, Al Amin fled the district to evade law enforcement agencies.
Recognising the gravity of the offense, RAB-13 intensified its intelligence monitoring and coordinated with local units to trace the fugitive’s movements. Human intelligence and technical surveillance eventually led officers to his hiding spot in Gazipur, roughly 350 kilometres away from the scene of the crime.
Incidents of gender-based violence and illegal digital recordings used for blackmail have seen heightened scrutiny from law enforcement in Bangladesh. Senior RAB officials reaffirmed their commitment to bringing all perpetrators involved in the incident to justice, noting that efforts to arrest the remaining accomplices are currently ongoing. The suspect has been handed over to the relevant authorities to face trial under the Prevention of Oppression Against Women and Children Act and the Cyber Security Act.
