Resort manager held over alleged assault of women tourists in Lama

Police have arrested the manager of a resort and another man in connection with the alleged molestation, blackmail and robbery of two women tourists at Matamuhuri Riverside Resort in Lama, Bandarban.

The suspects, identified as Mohammad Rashed, 25, the resort manager, and his associate Mohammad Hridoy, 28, were arrested on Sunday evening and sent to jail by a court on Monday.

According to Lama Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Muhammad Shahjahan Kamal, police recovered a pair of gold earrings belonging to one of the victims and Taka 8,000 from the two accused. Efforts are underway to arrest the remaining suspects named in the case.

According to the First Information Report (FIR), three tourists had set out on a boat trip on the Matamuhuri River on 25 June. While travelling by a motorised boat towards Lama upazila headquarters, one of the women fell ill, prompting the group to seek temporary shelter at a nearby resort on the riverbank.

The complaint alleges that after the group rented a room to rest, resort manager Rashed and Hridoy locked the door from outside before entering the room with seven to eight other individuals.

The accused allegedly seized the tourists’ mobile phones, sexually assaulted the two women, recorded videos of the assault and robbed them of gold earrings and Taka 48,000 in cash.

The victims further alleged that the attackers threatened to release the videos on social media if they reported the incident to the authorities.
One of the tourists later filed a case naming Rashed, Hridoy and another accused.

Police said the investigation is continuing and raids are being conducted to apprehend the remaining suspects involved in the incident.