A woman mysteriously entered the residence of one of the rape victims on Tuesday night identifying herself as a police officer. She proposed to the victims of the rape in Banani to come to a settlement with the accused.
When asked to show her identity card she left the place tactfully, sources told the daily Observer on Wednesday. Earlier BM Forman Ali, OC of Banani Police Station, who was on a five-day leave proposed to the two victims of the rape to come to a settlement with the accused. The two victims are facing threats and pressure to withdraw the case while police are yet to arrest anyone in connection with the rape.
The plaintiffs of the birthday-party rape case of March 28 say they are afraid for their safety because their alleged rapists have repeatedly threatened them over the phone and told them to withdraw the case. "My family is afraid of the constant harassment from Shafat's family,"one of the victims said.
It is also rumoured that Ahmed Shafat's father Dildar Ahmed had paid huge amount of money to the police to not to press charges against his son.
The Detective Branch of Police on Wednesday interrogated Fariha Mahabun Piyasa, ex-wife of rape accused Shafat, at the DB HQs for three hours. She told journalists that Shafat divorced her eight months ago. Shafat had introduced the two victims to her a month before her divorce but he did not introduce her as his wife, she added.
She helped the two victims psychologically to file case against the accused. Meanwhile, the rapists have repeatedly threatened Piyasa over phone. Police also helped the rapist and spread the rumour that Piyasa had stolen Shafat's car.
The two victims' family members said not only police but also local influential leaders and relatives pressured the two victims of the rape to come to a settlement with the accused.
It is not, however, unusual for wealthy businessmen and their family members to have round-the-clock personal security.
The rape accused, Shafat Ahmed, son of Apan Jewellers owner Dildar Ahmed, moved around guarded by armed bodyguards all the time. On Saturday, a case was filed with Banani police against Shafat Ahmed, 26, Nayeem Ashraf, 30, Sadman Sakif, 24, and Billal, 26, for the alleged rape of two young women at the Raintree Hotel in Banani after a birthday party on March 28.
According to the case file, Shafat and his friend Nayeem allegedly raped the two university students while Shafat's bodyguard held the girls at gunpoint and Shafat's driver Billal, 26, videotaped the incident.
It has been more than five days since the rape case had been filed against the four, but police are yet to arrest anyone. The Raintree Hotel authorities said they do not have any CCTV footage of that day as they have the capacity to store footage of one month only. The Raintree Hotel authorities damaged all documents willingly, source added.
