Gang-rape, robbery on moving bus in Tangail

In Tangail, a group of armed men disguised as passengers boarded a bus headed for Chattogram, stole people’s money and possessions, and raped a woman while holding her at gunpoint.

The terrifying occurrence happened early on Wednesday in Tangail’s Madhupur upazila’s Raktipara area, which is off the Dhaka-Tangail Highway.

The bus of “Eagle Paribahan,” with 24-25 passengers on board, was on its way to Chattogram from Kushtia late on Tuesday night when the crime occurred.

A group of robbers boarded the bus around 11pm on Tuesday after it resumed its journey following a stopover at a hotel in Sirajganj district.

And some 5-10 minutes later, four more got into the bus, police said.

“Around 12am on Wednesday when the bus took the busy Dhaka-Tangail Highway in the Natiapara area, the robbers whiffed out guns, hijacked the vehicle and forced the driver to drive towards Madhupur upazila,” the SP said.

On a desolate stretch, the armed gang robbed the commuters of cash, jewellery and mobile phones.

“The robbers then blindfolded the passengers and raped the woman commuter on board,” the SP said.

The ordeal continued for over three hours till the seven criminals forced them to get off the bus and drove the heavy vehicle towards Raktipara’s Jam-e-Mosque, where they abandoned it and fled with the loot, police said.

“The victim woman is being treated at Tangail General Hospital, and her initial medical test showed evidence of rape,” the police official added.