AL leader booked for raping woman, daughter

A woman and her 12-year-old daughter were raped by three people allegedly led by a local leader of the ruling Awami League in a village under Subarnachar upazila in Noakhali early Tuesday.

The incident took place at around 2:15am, according to police and locals.

It came  a day after a court sentenced 10 individuals to death and six others to life imprisonment in connection with the rape of a housewife in Subarnachar upazila on the night of the 11th general election on December 30, 2018.

After the latest incident, the police arrested ruling Awami League’s Charwapda union unit president and former Union Parishad member Abul Khair Munsi at Maijdee town in Noakhali after he was made prime accused in the case over the rape incident.

The rape incident allegedly by an AL leader and his associates was reported hours after a Noakhali court on Monday had sentenced AL leader among 10 people to death and six others to life term imprisonment in a case filed over raping a housewife in the same upazila on the night of the 11th general election on December 30, 2018.

According to police officials, the woman was living with three of her children at the house, and her husband was away for work most of the time.

The thieves entered the house at around 2:00am on Tuesday and raped the woman and her daughter. The thieves also tied the housewife’s hands, feet, and face and took away the gold and cash from the house.

Two of the thieves raped the 30-year-old housewife, and one of them raped her 12-year-old daughter, who is a class V student, locals and police officials said.

Later, hearing their screams, the neighbours rushed to the spot and reported the matter to the Charjabbar police station.

Charjabbar police station officer-in-charge Rafiqul Islam said that the family was shifted to the house from their old one a few days ago.

He also said that the housewife and her daughter were sent to the 250-bed Noakhali General Hospital for medical examination.

The victim filed a case with the Charjabbar police station against AL leader Abul Khair Munshi, Md Harun, and another unidentified man under the Women and Children Repression Prevention act.

Additional superintendent of police in Noakhali, Bijoya Sen, said that the prime suspect in the case was arrested from Maijdee town soon after the incident.