Two Hindu women raped in Jessore

Source: The Dhaka Tribune

Cases filed as masked men swooped on the community in a Monirampur village late Tuesday

•  People of all ages in Monirampur unite, demanding life of dignity, in front of the media yesterday. They expressed the urge after two housewives were violated on Tuesday  
  Photo- Dhaka Tribune

Two rape victims from Jamaat-dominated Hazrail area in Jessore’s Monirampur filed cases with local police yesterday, two days after they had been tortured in front of family members by some masked men, allegedly activists of Jamaat-Shibir, at their Hrishipara houses.

Jessore ASP Reshma Sharmin told the Dhaka Tribune that they had received two complaints lodged by the victims themselves, who are also relatives, against unnamed people.

The incident remained beyond anyone’s knowledge until the victims filed the cases with Monirampur police station yesterday, reports our correspondent in Jessore. It took place at a time when attacks on Hindus and Awami League supporters in the area continued since the 10th parliamentary election on January 5.

On the election day, an entire Hindu locality of Malopara village in Obhoynagar upazila of the same district was driven away from their homes by the activists of Jamaat-Shibir.

Panicked as well as enraged, locals are now guarding the village at night together to resist any further attack.

Police suspect that the Jamaat-Shibir men had been behind the rapes.

Hazrail is known as one of the strongholds of opposition ally Jamaat-e-Islami in the district. During an election campaign last month, the activists of Jamaat and its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir torched the private car of former MP from the area Khan Tipu Sultan’s son. They even prevented Tipu Sultan from putting up posters in the area ahead of the election.

Election officials had to postpone voting in 60 polling centres in Monirampur upazila alone as the Jamaat-Shibir activists wreaked havoc in the area to foil the poll. The number is highest in a single upazila where polling was postponed across the country.

Family members of the rape victims said 10-12 masked men equipped with firearms had gone to one of the houses at Rishipara around 10pm on Tuesday and asked for drinking water. Seeing firearms with them, the dwellers thought they might be law enforcers.

Then the criminals entered the house, tied the family members and raped a woman at gunpoint until midnight.

The family members said the rapists then went to an adjacent house – both situated at a corner of the Hrishipara village – and raped another woman until 3am on Wednesday, holding the family members hostages at gunpoint.

The victims were taken to Jessore General Hospital yesterday morning for medical tests, said police.

UNB quotes Officer-in-Charge of Monirampur police station Mir Rezaul Hossain: “Those who are on the run following the ongoing drives of the joint forces are behind the incident.” 

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