Police have arrested five people on charges of raping a female candidate of union council elections in Rajshahi on her way home from campaign.
Robiul Islam, chief of Bagmara Police Station, said the alleged incident occurred at Bahamin village on Thursday night, reports bdnews24.com.
The woman fell ill after the suspects stopped her and raped her at gunpoint, she said in a case.
The woman received treatment at a local medical facility before lodging the case, naming three people and mentioning two unknown suspects.
Police arrested the five suspects on Friday night and took them to court that sent them to prison pending investigation on Saturday.
The accused are Mahbubur Rahman, 28, Akbar Hossain, 35, Sohel Rana, 24, Dulal Hossain, 25, and Fazlur Rahman, 48.
A relative of the woman said she had submitted her nomination papers last Wednesday and visited the houses of some voters in Mohanpur and Bagmara, continuing the campaign after sundown. The incident occurred on her way back from there.
The relative also said that the candidate was “in distress, but remained resolute to continue her campaign, taking the incident as a challenge”.
She appreciated the police’s prompt steps to identify and apprehend the suspects, according to the relative.
Assistant Returning Officer Shahidul Islam said seven women submitted nomination papers from that ward and the election will be held on Oct 17.
He said the authorities will ensure that the alleged victim receives proper legal assistance.
