Police have arrested six people in connection with the alleged gang rape of a woman on a moving bus in Dhaka’s Savar.
Police say the incident occurred in the Ashulia cattle market area around 11:30 pm on Friday. The victim filed a case with the Ashulia Police Station soon afterwards.
The detained suspects have been identified as Aryan, 18, Shaju, 20, Sumon Miah, 24, Monowar, 24, Shohag, 25, and Saiful Islam, 40, reports bdnews24.com.
All of them are transport workers who drive buses on a highway through Abdullahpur, Baipail and Nabinagar. They were residents of the Kamarpara area in Turag.
The 22-year-old victim was heading home to Narayanganj from her sister’s house in Manikganj and arrived at the Nabinagar bus stand around 8 pm on Friday to catch another bus. The woman met an acquaintance named Nazmul there, Ashulia Police Inspector Ziaul Islam said, citing the case details.
As they were waiting for another public transport, a New Gram Bangla bus driven by Sumon, who was aided by Monowar and Saiful, arrived. They said they would charge Tk 35 for a trip to Tongi Station Road.
Once they were on the bus, the perpetrators dropped off the other passengers before they reached their destinations. They restrained Nazmul and the victim, and took them back to Nabinagar where she was raped by six assailants inside the bus.
A police patrol heard Nazmul’s screams for help, stopped the vehicle and rescued them, arresting six people and taking the bus into custody.
The detainees will be taken to court to petition for a four-day remand to question them, said Ashulia Police Inspector Abdur Rashid.
The victim has been sent to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for medical tests.