Police in Bangladesh are investigating the alleged gang rape and assault of a 40-year-old Hindu widow in the Kaliganj area of Jhenaidah district, an incident that has sparked renewed concern over violence against minority communities.
According to a police complaint filed by the survivor, the attack took place on Saturday evening in Ward No. 7 of Kaliganj municipality. The woman told police that she had purchased a small parcel of land and a two-storey house about two-and-a-half years ago from a man identified as Shahin and his brother for approximately 2 million taka.
In her statement, she alleged that Shahin had been harassing her with repeated indecent proposals since the property purchase and continued to pressure her after she refused.
The woman told investigators that on Saturday, while two relatives from her village were visiting her home, Shahin and another man identified as Hasan forced their way inside and raped her. She alleged the men then demanded 50,000 taka from her.
When she refused to pay, the men allegedly assaulted her visiting relatives and forced them to leave. Police said the attackers then tied the woman to a tree, cut off her hair, recorded the act and circulated the video on social media. The woman said she was tortured further and eventually lost consciousness.
Local residents later found her and took her to Jhenaidah Sadar Hospital for treatment.
Dr. Md. Mostafizur Rahman, the hospital’s superintendent, said the woman did not initially disclose the details of the assault. “Through medical examination, we later learned that she had been subjected to abuse,” he said.
The woman subsequently filed a formal complaint at Kaliganj Police Station, naming Shahin and Hasan as the accused.
Jhenaidah Additional Superintendent of Police Billal Hossain said officers have recorded the complaint and begun an investigation. “After completing the investigation, police will take the highest possible legal action,” he said.
Wider concerns over minority safety
The alleged assault occurred on the same day that Khokon Chandra Das, a Hindu man in Bangladesh’s Shariatpur district, died from injuries after reportedly being attacked and set on fire by a mob. Das had initially escaped by jumping into a pond but later succumbed to his injuries.
In recent weeks, other violent incidents involving members of the Hindu community have also been reported. On Dec. 24, Amrit Mondal was allegedly lynched by a mob in Kalimohar Union. While Bangladesh’s interim government, led by Muhammad Yunus, condemned the killing, it said there was no communal angle to the case. Earlier, on Dec. 18, Dipu Chandra Das, 25, was lynched after being falsely accused of blasphemy.
India has expressed concern over what it has described as “unremitting hostility” toward minorities in Bangladesh and has said it is closely monitoring developments. Bangladeshi authorities have repeatedly stated that the government remains committed to protecting minority communities and upholding the rule of law.