Another Subarnachar woman gang-raped over UZ vote dispute

A mother of six has reportedly been gang-raped and her husband assaulted in an Upazila election dispute in Noakhali's Subarnachar where a similar incident was alleged during the December 30 general election, reports bdnews24.com.

The husband started a case against eight people over the incident that allegedly happened on Sunday night and police have detained two of them, Noakhali Superintendent of Police Md Ilias Sharif said.

The couple were admitted to the Noakhali General Hospital where Additional SP Dipak Jyoti Khisa met them. Police also visited the site.

The woman told reporters that she and her husband had worked in the Subarnachar Upazila council election as supporters of vice-chairman candidate Tajuddin, who contested with eyeglass symbol in the fourth phase of elections to the local government body.

Yusuf Majhi and his men, who are supporters of Tajuddin's rival Farhad Chowdhury Bahar who ran with lock symbol, had threatened the couple and asked them to vote for Bahar, the woman said.

"They asked us not to go to the polling station if we did not vote Bahar. They threatened us again when we went to the polling station on Sunday. We had an altercation there," she said.

She and her husband later took shelter at a relative's home, but they were ambushed while returning home at Bagga village on her husband's motorcycle, she alleged.

"Some 10 to 12 men led by Yusuf Majhi stopped us. They held my husband captive and beat him. Bechu Majhi, Bajlu, and Abul Bashar dragged me to a fish farm owned by Ruhul Amin. They raped me there," the woman said.

The residents of the village rescued them after hearing the cry of her husband and took them to the hospital, she said.