A 17-year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped while walking home from a mosque in Rajshahi, Bangladesh, on Tuesday night. Police have launched a manhunt for three suspects.
Attack details
The girl was walking home from an Arabic class at the mosque around 8pm local time (3pm UK time) on July 21 when a man she reportedly knew approached her and forced her into a nearby mango orchard. Two other attackers were allegedly lying in wait, and they gang-raped her before fleeing the scene.
The victim returned home and reported the attack to her family, who informed police. She was taken to hospital for treatment; her condition is unknown.
Suspects identified
Abdul Malek, the officer in charge at Charghat Model Police Station, named the three suspects on Wednesday as Limon Islam, Shitu Alam, and Shiba Rahman. He said they all live locally, and officers are conducting raids to arrest them.
Local people confirmed the girl knew the man who lured her into the orchard. It is unclear whether she knew the other two suspects.
The attack occurred in the Charghat Upazila of Rajshahi, in northwestern Bangladesh near the Indian border. The area covers 164 sq km and has a population of about 225,000.
