Staff Reporter :
In a harrowing incident, a bus driver and an autorickshaw driver were arrested on Friday night for allegedly raping a female passenger in Durgapur upazila of Netrokona district.
The accused were identified as Khairul Islam, 30, from Atkapara village, and Md. Kabir Mia, 35, from Balikandi village.
Khairul Islam is a bus driver of No. 7 of Mamoni Paribahan on the Dhaka-Durgapur-Lengura route, while Kabir Mia drives an autorickshaw on local routes.
According to the case statement, the 21-year-old victim boarded a Mamoni Paribahan bus from North Badda, Dhaka, around 9:30 PM on Thursday, aiming to reach her home in Kalmakanda upazila, Netrokona district.
Around 3:00 AM, she was dropped off by the bus helper at Press Club Mor in Durgapur upazila sadar, where Khairul also disembarked.
In her bid to find transport to her uncle’s house in West Nazirpur for shelter, Khairul offered her a ride in an autorickshaw, claiming he would help her reach her destination. During the journey, Khairul, with Kabir’s assistance, threatened and raped the victim. They then abandoned her near her uncle’s house, fleeing with her mobile phone and bag.
Later with the help of locals, the victim filed a rape case at Durgapur Police Station on Friday morning. By the afternoon, police had apprehended Khairul, and later that night, they arrested Kabir based on the victim’s description and seized the autorickshaw.
Durgapur Police Station Officer-in-Charge Uttam Chandra Dev confirmed the arrests, stating, “We arrested the bus driver upon receiving the initial complaint. Subsequently, based on the victim’s description, police identified and arrested the autorickshaw driver.”