‘Noakhali gang-rape can’t be imagined in democratic country’

Expressing deep concern over the gang-rape of a woman in Subarnachar of Noakhali, Jatiya Oikya Front leader and Gano Forum president Kamal Hossain on Friday said it has belittled all as a nation, reports UNB.

“Such an incident can’t be imagined in a democratic country. The incident has put the democratic rights, basic rights and the freedom of expression into jeopardy,” he said in a statement.

Kamal also said, “This shame is not only of the victim but also of the entire nation. Not only the victim was tortured through the incident, but also our democracy and basic rights were humiliated.”

He expressed his resentment at the drop of the name of the person who ordered the gang-rape and demanded that those involved in the incident be brought to book immediately.

The opposition Oikya Front convener alleged that ruling Awami League ‘terrorists’ threatened the woman with dire consequences after she cast her vote for the candidate of her choice defying their order.

He further alleged that the government has apparently helped the criminals flee trying to hush up the incident.

Kamal also said the country’s people will have to take initiatives to prevent such incidents.

According to the victim’s husband, a group of hoodlums stormed into their house in the early hours of Monday and tied up all the family members except his wife.

They took the woman outside the house at gunpoint where they raped her in turns for casting her vote for ‘sheaf of paddy’, the victim’s husband claimed.

After the rape, they also threatened the victim not to disclose the matter to anyone, saying they would kill her if otherwise, he said.

With the help of neighbours, the victim was taken to hospital on Monday and a case was filed against nine people over the incident.