A twenty-year-old woman has died at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital, four days after she was abducted and subjected to a violent gang-rape in Vheramara, Kushtia.
The victim, identified as Thoma Khatun, succumbed to her severe injuries at approximately 02:30 BST on Friday, 18 September. She was the daughter of Tofazzal Hossain, a resident of Fakirabad Bakhshipara village in the Golapnagar area under Vheramara Upazila.
According to local sources and family members, the harrowing incident unfolded on the evening of Tuesday, 15 September. Thoma was returning home on foot from a local beauty parlour at Golapnagar market around 21:00 BST when a group of men on a motorcycle intercepted her path. The assailants forcibly bundled her onto the vehicle before speeding away to an undisclosed location.
Investigators and local residents believe that four to five men were involved in the abduction and subsequent physical assault. After subjecting her to extreme torture for several hours, the perpetrators dumped her in a critically injured state at a deserted road junction near her family home around midnight.
Family members located the victim shortly after 00:30 BST and rushed her to the Vheramara Upazila Health Complex at 01:00 BST. Given the severity of her physical trauma, medical officers at the facility immediately transferred her to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital for advanced emergency care. Despite four days of intensive treatment, doctors were unable to save her life.
The day following the abduction, the victim’s mother, Kajli Khatun, lodged a formal written complaint with the local police. On the basis of this submission, law enforcement officials initiated a primary investigation into the tragedy.
Family sources revealed that Thoma had been married to Abu Bakkar, a resident of the same locality, around eighteen months ago. The couple divorced approximately six weeks before the incident. Relatives suspect that her former husband may have orchestrated or participated in the attack following the breakdown of their marriage. Acting on these allegations, law enforcement officers took Bakkar into custody for interrogation to ascertain whether he played a direct role in the crime.
Describing the ordeal, the victim’s cousin, Habibur Rahman Habib, stated that Thoma was abducted shortly after leaving the market and left near her home in a dying condition. He confirmed that the family is preparing to file a formal murder and rape case with the Vheramara Police Station.
Inspector (Investigation) Rokibul Islam of Vheramara Police Station confirmed receipt of the written complaint and noted that officers are actively questioning the victim’s ex-husband. He emphasised that a thorough enquiry is underway to identify and apprehend every individual involved in the heinous act. The exact cause of death and the full extent of the physical violence will be formally established through ongoing medical and forensic assessments.
The tragic passing of the young woman has sparked deep grief across the community, alongside widespread demands for the immediate arrest and rigorous prosecution of those responsible. Police authorities maintain that operations will continue until all perpetrators are brought to justice.
