Fresh probe into Tanore gang-rape begins

CID Inspector Abul Kalam Biswas, investigating officer (IO) of the case, recorded statements of the victim at Rajshahi office of Bangladesh National Women Lawyers' Association (BNWLA), where the victim was under safe custody.

A Magistrate court asked CID to probe the case following a higher court order for re-investigation.

Tap here to add The Daily Star as a trusted source

However, the victim's lawyers and family members told newsmen yesterday that the main accused in the case-- Tanore upazila BNP Vice- president and Chanduria UP Chairman Mofiz Uddin threatened witnesses in the case and her family members 'to kill or harass them through false cases' if they proceed with the case.

"Mofiz threatened the witnesses even in front of policemen including the IO on March 23 when CID police was visiting the victim's house", said Korban Ali, the victim's husband adding.

"Police just humbly rebuked Mofiz for the threat", he said.

Victim's lawyer Advocate Hasibur Rahman Hasibul said, "I apprehend that the rapists may get police favour as our men saw police talking to Mofiz inside Tanore thana and a CID police even took lunch at Mofiz's house".

Two accused in the case -- Omar Ali and Yaad Ali --who were arrested after The Daily Star published a report on December 13 that the victim was on the run for life following threats by rapists, were freed on bail on January 26.

Lawyers said, the two got bail as police arrested them under Section 54 and charged them for only threatening the victim, not for raping her.

Regarding another accused --Abdul MozidTanore thana OC Nurul Amin said that he went into hiding.

The victim earlier alleged that four BNP men -- Mofiz, Omar, Yaad and village doctor Abdul Mozid gang-raped her on April, 1988 when she was 18.

Bribed by rapists, her uncle late Sayed Ali Satari lodged a case with Tanore Police Station accusing Muhammad Ali of the rape. But at the court, the victim told that four BNP were the rapists, not Ali.

Later, in course of time, the documents of the case were missing and the probe was suspended for over nine years.

Talking to The Daily Star, CID Inspector Abul Kalam Biswas said that the rapists would be arrested after the victim renews her allegations in a statement before a Magistrate under Section 164.

"I met Mofiz only once last week. I didn't saw him threatening the witnesses, but I heard about threats from victim's family members", Biswas said when asked about the allegations.

Replying to a question, he said Mofiz is free to move as he was granted bail by the High Court.