Police yesterday arrested four men and a woman in connection with the gang rape of a 14-year-old schoolgirl last month in a remote forest in the northeast of the country.
The victim, who is now in serious condition in a Dhaka hospital, was taken to a remote house where several men were waiting in a forest in Madhupur, Tangail district, police said.
There she was allegedly raped for three days before being dumped by some railway tracks.
Muhammad Moniruzzaman, the investigating officer at Madhupur police station, said the girl had been lured to the remote location on December 6 by a friend under the pretense they were to attend a wedding.
She was later found unconscious on December 10 by her brother, who only reported the crime on December 31. Moniruxzziman said the brother has accused the friend of being involved. The friend was the woman arrested yesterday.
Commenting on why the family took so long to report the alleged crime, Moniruzzaman said the family was probably reluctant because they feared “social disgrace.”
The family came forward only after the girl was transferred to hospital, he said.
Doctors at Dhaka Medical College Hospital say she is suffering from serious physical and mental trauma and her condition is deteriorating.
“Her condition is not good. She is also very weak because she has stopped eating,” said Dr Bilkis Begum who is treating the girl.
Her mother is praying for the recovery of her daughter and has demanded stiff punishment against those who attacked her.
“She was a very good girl so I allowed her to attend this so-called wedding ceremony with her friend … and now she has lost her honor,” she said.
Police say the five suspects are being held for further questioning. “We are trying to find out if more people were involved in the rape,” Moniruzzaman said.