A gruesome serial rapist

A young girl of Class 8 on 11 May left her house in Tajmahal Road of Mohammedpur in the capital to visit her friend in Shyamoli. After spending time with her friend, she was returning home by rickshaw. When she reached Ring Road in Mohammedpur, a miscreant drove up in a car and forced her into the vehicle. She was raped in the car.

The rapist later called her mother and demanded Tk 5000 taka, saying that if she didn't pay him, he would harm the girl further. The mother immediately sent him Tk 2000 over mobile phone to save her daughter. The rapist then dropped the girl off at Tajmahal Road and drove off.

The girl's mother filed a rape case and on 17 May the Mohammedpur police arrested the accused. The accused is Nazmul Hossain. In investigating his criminal details, the police found that even 12 years ago he had been involved in gang rape. The first rape case against him was filed in 2012. Within a matter of 12 years, six cases were filed against Nazmul. After getting bail in the rape case, he just went back to committing crimes.

Three police officers involved in the investigation told Prothom Alo, though three rape cases have been filed against Nazmul, many more women are victims of his heinous crimes. During interrogation Nazmul even admitted to this.

In the cases, the women said that Nazmul would threaten them and force them into his car, take them to isolated areas and rape then in the vehicle. He also posed as a policeman, forced two women into a car and took away their gold ornaments and money.

Investigating officer, sub-inspector (SI) Anik Bhakta of Mohammedpur police station, said they identified Nazmul from the payments made to his bKash account. Later he was arrested from his car in Khilkhet. The police have learnt that Nazmul has been committing such crime for the past 12 years in the capital city. On 2 June the members of the police from the Mohammedpur police station told the court that for a long time Nazmul has been using his car to pick up school and college girls from various places in the city and then rape them in the car.

The police officers said Nazmul doesn't remain for long in one place. The moment he commits a fresh crime, he changes his house. He has married several times and been involved in all sorts of women-related crime.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, public prosecutor of Dhaka's Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribinal-3, Mahmuda Akhter, said it is unimaginable that someone would use an Uber or rented car to pick up women and rape them. If such a criminal is outside of prison, any women can fall into danger at any time. The state will take strong measures to prove the cases in which Nazmul has been accused and ensure his punishment.

Before raping the young girl in Mohammedpur, in March Nazmul had picked up a woman (25) and molested her in the car. A case was filed in this regard with the Mohammedpur police station on 19 March. According to the police report, the woman lives with her family in Kalyanpur of the capital. When the woman was walking along the road in front of Kalyanpur Model Government Primary School on 1 March, a car came and blocked her way. Two men came out of the car and introduced themselves as members of the police's detective branch (DB) and forced her into the car. They threatened that they would strip her and make a video of her. Later they snatched Tk 140,000 from her and dropped her off at Adabor.

The investigating officer of the case, Mirpur model police station SI Baiyzed Mollah told Prothom Alo, with court permission, they took Nazmul on two day's remand and interrogated him. He admitted to using false DB identity to pick up women and harass them.

Police have found evidence of Nazmul also being involved in 2022 in the gang rape of a woman who was picked up in a car from Bhashantek. According to the chargesheet submitted in court, on 11 July a young woman (22) was walking in front of the Navy Market in Bhashantek when Nazmul and two of his associates picked her up and raped her in the car. They later made her father pay them Tk 20,000 over mobile phone and the dropped her off at Rampura.

Investigating officer of the case, Bhashantek police station's inspector Abul Hasnat Khandakar told Prothom Alo that Nazmul, who had grown up in Dhaka, was a serial rapist. He would go around the city in a car and, when he got the chance, would pick up women and rape them in the vehicle. A few young women had filed cases against them, while many avoided doing so.

Police officer Abul Hasnat Khandakar said he has interrogated Nazmul exhaustively. Nazmul is a professional criminal. He would conceal his criminal offence and go around renting different cars.

A certain Aminul Ahsan got into trouble by renting out a car to Nazmul Hasan. He told Prothom Alo, three months ago Nazmul rented the car from him and would drive is for Uber service. They even had a written agreement. Later when Nazmul was arrested for committing rape in the car, the car was also seized. The car is now in police custody.

According to a case filed in 2020 in Darussalam police station, Nazmul and his associates, including a certain Saiful, picked up a young woman (25) and snatched Tk 25,000 from her. Yet the defence lawyer says Nazmul and Saiful are innocent.

Bangladesh Women Lawyers Association president Salma Ali told Prothom Alo, a man who for 12years has been picking up women and raping them in cars, is certainly a serial rapist. The allegations in all three rape cases against him say that he raped the women in vehicles. It is imperative that there be exemplary punishment against a criminal.