Cox's Bazar rape suspect Ashikul remanded for three days

Police have been granted three days to grill Ashikul Islam, a key suspect in the rape of a tourist in Cox's Bazar.

Cox's Bazar's Senior Judicial Magistrate Abul Mansur Siddique passed the remand order after a hearing on Tuesday, according to Md Mahiuddin Ahmed, additional superintendent of the district's Tourist Police.

On Dec 23, a 25-year-old woman was allegedly raped several times by members of a criminal group in the resort town during a family trip, reports bdnews24.com.

The miscreants also took her husband and eight-month-old child hostage from the city’s Laboni Point area.

The next day, the husband named four suspects and accused three unidentified people in a case over the alleged gang rape.

Ashikul, a resident of Cox's Bazar town, was arrested in Madaripur on Dec 26.

He was previously implicated in over a dozen cases of crimes, including murder, torture of women, extortion, and possession of weapons and drugs, according to police. He was released on bail on Dec 16 in a robbery case.

Law enforcers also arrested the three other named suspects in the case, Mehedi Hasan Babu, Israfil Huda Joy and Riaz Uddin Chhoton.

Police will begin interrogating Ashikul in custody later in the evening, said Mohiuddin. The law enforcement agency is also seeking a 7-day remand order against Babu.