Father of rape victim found dead after receiving threats

Police recovered the body of a rape victim's father in Barguna town early today.

The victim's family members claimed that he was murdered by associates of the accused rapist, who is currently in jail.

The deceased worked at a poultry shop in the town. His daughter, a fifth grader, was raped by one of their neighbours on March 7.

The next day, the victim's father filed a case against Shibu Das, 30, along with other unnamed individuals accused of assisting Shibu in committing the crime.

Police arrested Shibu on March 8, and he was sent to jail by a court, police said.

Since Shibu's arrest, his associates had allegedly been threatening the victim's family and pressuring them to withdraw the case, the family claimed.

The family added that today was the scheduled court appearance date for the deceased.

The deceased's wife said, "Yesterday [Tuesday] evening, my husband told me over the phone that he would return home late, but he never came back."

"At one point, we started searching for him in the area and found him late at night in a bush near our house," she added.

"The criminals -- associates of the accused rapist -- have killed my husband. I want justice," she told The Daily Star today.

When contacted, Barguna Sadar Police Station's Officer-in-Charge (OC) Dewan Jaglul Hasan said, "Police recovered the body around 1:00 am (Wednesday). Our initial investigation suggests that the person was murdered. Further investigation is underway, and legal action will be taken accordingly."

When asked, he said the victim's family had not filed any police complaint regarding threats from criminals.

Speaking to The Daily Star today, former ward councillor Aminul Islam Swapan said, "I have known the victim's family for a long time, and they are good people. We demand justice for both the killing and the rape."