Shafat, Shadman confess to Banani rape

Shafat Ahmed and his friend Shadman Sakif have told a Dhaka court that they had raped two female university students at a Banani hotel on March 28.

The duo confessed to their crimes before the court of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrates Ahsan Habib and Sabbir Yasir Ahsan Chowdhury Thursday afternoon.

Earlier in the day, police said another accused Nayem Ashraf had confessed to being involved in the rape during police’s primary interrogation.

Nayem was arrested from Munshiganj on Wednesday.

He is the last of the five accused in the rape case to be caught. His cohorts Shafat Ahmed and Shadman Sakif were apprehended in Sylhet on May 12. Shafat’s bodyguard and driver, complicit in the rape, were caught Monday night.

The two victims, who were raped on March 28 at The Raintree Hotel, filed a case on May 6 with Banani police against Shafat Ahmed, his friends Nayem Ashraf, Shadman Sakif, Shafaat’s driver Billal and his unnamed bodyguard.

Police recorded the case after a 48-hour delay.

The plaintiffs said their rapists had repeatedly threatened them and pressured them to withdraw the case.

Shafat is the son of Apan Jewellers’ owner Dildar Ahmed. Nayem is the managing director of eMakers Bangladesh and Shadman Sakif is one of the directors at Regnum Group.

Dildar is being investigated by the Customs Intelligence for allegedly being involved with gold smuggling.

Source: dhakatribune