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Tanore Gang-rape

Main accused sheltered by BNP bigwigs, victim threatened

Staff Correspondent. Rajshahi
A local BNP leader, the main accused inTanore gang-rape case, is escaping arrest 17 years after the incident using political influence while his men are threatening the victim's family to withdrawthe case.
Police said, the accused- Tanore BNP Vice president and Chanduria UP chairman Mofiz Uddin- went into hiding since two of the four accused were arrested on December 16.
But sources claimed that Mofiz is staying at a hotel in Dhaka and visited his home at Tanore several times in last two weeks.
"He is maintaining regular contact with local police over phone", said a source.
Habibur Rahman Hasibul, the victim's lawyer, claimed that Mofiz was often seen at a minister's house in Dhaka. He stayed at his house for five hours from 8am on December 18, the lawyer further cklaimed.
The rape victim's husband, Korban Ali, on Monday alleged that Mofiz's men went to his house and asked for settlement of the case through arbitration.
"Whenever theyseemeatmarket and streets, they warn me of dire consequences if I do not withdraw
the case", het said.
Korban married the victim as his second wife one and a half years after the incident
Following threats on her life, the victim is on the run since early December last year. Rajshahi chapter of Bangladesh National Women Lawyers' Association took the victim under their safe custody and sent her to their Dhaka 'safe home' on December 18.
A magistrate court on Monday rejected the bail prayers of the arresred twoaccused-Omar Aliand YaadAli.
The victim earlier alleged that Mofiz, Omar and Yaad had bribed her uncle Sayed Ali Safari and gang-raped her. She wa an orphan, then 18.
Then they took her to the then UP chairman and village quack Abdul Mozid Mollah, who also raped her overnight.
Her ordeal did not end there. Her uncle Satari lodged a case accusing Muhammad Ali for the rape. Then she was kept confined to Mofiz's house for many days until police pressed charges against Muhammad.
But she unfolded the fact before a court that asked her for evidence.
Besides this. Mofiz is accused in
many other cases for women repression, anti-social activities and corruption, police sources said.
After the gang rape, Mofiz had also raped four other housewifves at Deotola village, they said. 1\vo of the victims did not dare to lodge any case.
1\vo other victims complained, but police in their reports could not bring any charge against Mofiz.
The people of the area sent a written letter to the Prime Minister on December 15, describing misdeeds byMofiz.
Tanore people made such complains many times before, but Mofiz's is always escapes punishment because of his political influence and close relations with a minister.
Some sources also claimed that that Mofiz developed relations with political big-wigs.
Army led joint forces arrested him during Operation Clean Heart. A police report after his arrest on January 1. 2003 said, "Mofiz, using his political power and influence of a minister used to beat government officials and captured tender works fromdifferent
governmentoffices’'.
After he was elected chairman of Soronjai Union Parishad in 1997, he
sold Tk 60 llakh lands of the council to Kaliganj College authorities at onlyTkB laJch, said the police report.
The case was under investigation by the then Bureau of Anti Corruptionand. But nothing more is known.
On July 10, 2002, local people roughed up and handed him over to police after they found him drinking and enjoying with girls at Barind Hotel in Rajshahi city. But police reported that he managed to flee away from the hotel as police reached there, said sources.
Mofiz chairman is a panic for many families in Tanore, particularly poor and aborigine'families.
Talking to The Daily Star, Mofiz denied all the allegations against him and said, "None can prove any of the allegations against me”.
"I have many enemies following family disputes, and so allegations are available against me", he said.
Mofiz denied meeting the minister, but said that he was staying in Dhaka for 'lobbying for the gang rape case'.
"As the case is in court, I must handle it legally", he said replying a question.
Answering another question, Mofiz said that he would seek ball from the High Court.