Swechasebak League leader arrested over abduction, gang rape of teenager in Sylhet

A ward-level leader of Swechasebak League of Sylhet city was arrested over raping a teenage girl while holding her captive for 22-days.

The girl was later moved to another district and gang-raped.

Abdus Salam, 40, president of ward 11 Swechasebak League, was arrested from Sylhet's Golapganj upazila, said RAB-9 Commanding Officer Md Mominul Haque at a press briefing at the RAB headquarters on Tuesday.

"A drive is underway to arrest the other absconding accused and Salam will be handed over to Kotwali Police Station for further legal action," he added.

Earlier, the victim's mother filed a case against Salam and his two accomplices at Kotwali Police Station of Sylhet Metropolitan Police on Friday (29 March).

According to the case statement, the Swechasebak League president kept the girl captive for 22 days at his residence and raped her.

The man kept the girl captive after her neighbour Rekha Begum introduced her to him so he could help her avail a job on 7 January.

When the victim's family returned from the village, they didn't find her in the residence and started looking for her. When the family decided to go to the police, the neighbour, Rekha, took them to the man's house.

Salam didn't confess to the girl's family on the first day. The family went to the house again the next day and the man finally confessed to his crime. The girl was taken home by her family.

Just three days after this, the man abducted the girl, moved her to a place in the neighbouring Moulovibazar district, where she was gang-raped by Salam and his cohorts.

Kotwali Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Moin Uddin said, "Medical examination of the victim has been completed at the One-Stop Crisis Centre of Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital and she is now with her family."