Bangladesh students protest after 25-year-old raped in Cumilla; 5 arrested

A torchlight rally illuminated Dhaka University's campus this Sunday as students came out in protest against a rape incident at Muradnagar, Cumilla. The Democratic Students' Alliance (DSA) organized the procession from the TSC to the sculpture of Raju, reported Prothom Alo, calling for exemplary punishment for the culprits of the assault on a 25‑year‑old mother.

DSA leaders cautioned that the caretaker government cannot shirk accountability for "an unsafe environment for women" in Bangladesh.

In a follow-up development, the High Court has directed the immediate protection of the full recovery of the Muradnagar survivor and ordered that she be taken out of all pictures and video clips on social media within 24 hours . Acting on the petition submitted by lawyer Mir AKM Nurunnabi, the court instructed authorities to report on progress in the case within 15 days .

As per the High Court's order, law enforcers arrested the prime suspect, 36-year-old Md Fazor Ali early on Sunday . Four others —Sumon, Romzan, Md Arif, and Md Anik— were detained for recording and distributing the video of the incident. Cumilla SP Nazir Ahmed Khan confirmed that legal action would be taken under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act, 2000 .

What had happened

A woman has been reportedly raped by Fazor Ali, a grassroots leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), at Muradnagar upazila of Cumilla district on the evening of June 26, 2025. The incident occurred when the woman was living with her children at her father's house for the Hari Seva festival, according to the police and statements of the cases quoted by The Daily Star and Prothom Alo.

Her husband was said to be employed in Dubai at the time.

Fazor Ali, who had a history of stalking the woman on her past visits to the village, allegedly broke into the house during the night, raped her at knife-point, and warned her that she would be killed if she reported the attack. Neighbors came running upon hearing the woman's screams and physically attacked Ali but he managed to escape, although injured, according to the police.

A case was lodged the very next day under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act. The survivor was subjected to medical examinations at Cumilla Medical College Hospital, and a formal investigation was initiated by the Muradnagar police. As per the officials, Fazor Ali was apprehended from Dhaka's Saydabad area early Sunday morning.

The case turned ugly when a video recording of the survivor, which had allegedly been made by eyewitnesses in the moments after the attack, was shared on social media, provoking widespread outrage among the public.