A 27-year-old woman has allegedly been raped in front of her two young children at a secluded spot near a betel leaf warehouse at Maona Chowrasta in Sreepur, Gazipur.
Following the assault, which took place late on Tuesday night, the victim attempted to end her life by jumping in front of a vehicle on the Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway, leaving her elder child critically injured.
The accused, identified as Sohrab Hossain, 35, a betel leaf trader residing in the Maona Chowrasta area and originally from Netrokona district, fled the scene after the incident became public.
According to the victim, Kulsum Akter (not her real name), a resident of Maona Union, her husband had abandoned her about a year ago.
She had been residing in a rented house in the adjacent Jaina Bazar area, but her landlord evicted her after rent fell into arrears. Late on Tuesday night, she took shelter on the pavement beneath the flyover at Maona Chowrasta.
At approximately 10:30pm, Sohrab offered her shelter and led her to a deserted spot adjacent to a nearby betel leaf warehouse, where he raped her despite the desperate cries and screams of her two children. He subsequently abandoned her and fled.
The victim added that on Wednesday morning, she went to the betel leaf warehouse to inform locals, but two betel leaf traders, Gautam and Shahid, attempted to hush up the matter by offering her money.
Outraged and distressed, she attempted suicide on the Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway that morning, during which her elder child fell under a moving vehicle and sustained severe injuries.
She further alleged that Sohrab had threatened to murder her children if she reported the crime to the police or anyone else, forcing her to remain silent out of fear. The incident came to light when she brought her injured son to a hospital for treatment.
Mohsin Ali, a betel leaf warehouse owner, confirmed that Sohrab had been trading in the area for several years and absconded once the allegations gained public attention.
Mohammad Shahinur Alam, officer-in-charge (OC) of Sreepur Police Station, said a police team was dispatched to the scene upon receiving the report to collect evidence and details. He added that the victim has been taken into police custody, efforts are ongoing to arrest the accused, and further legal procedures are underway.
