A readymade garment (RMG) worker was allegedly gang-raped by two local youths after her fiancé was beaten and tied up on the Meghna river embankment in Manpura upazila of Bhola district early Friday.

Police said the incident occurred in Taltoli area of Char Goalia union around 2:20am on Friday.

The victim hails from Sunamganj district, while her fiancé is a resident of Manpura. Both work at a garment factory in Dhaka and had come to Manpura recently for family arrangements ahead of their marriage.

The victim filed a rape case with Manpura Police Station on Friday night against five named individuals and three to four unidentified persons, said Sub-Inspector Ibrahim Nayan, also the investigation officer.

According to the case statement, the 18-year-old victim and her fiancé, Sajib Hossain, arrived in Manpura on January 14. Their wedding was scheduled for January 15, and she was staying at Sajib’s grandmother’s house for the preparations.

On Thursday night, a group of local influential men came to the house, brought allegation of maintaining an “illicit relationship” against them and demanded Tk 200,000. They threatened to hand the couple over to police or even kill them if the money was not paid.

When the duo failed to pay, the group allegedly forced them out of the house around midnight on Thursday. Pretending to help the girl board a launch, they detained Sajib and took the victim to an abandoned embankment in Taltoli area. There, two of the accused--Alamin and Maksud--raped her, while others beat Sajib and assisted in the crime, the case statement added.

Speaking to this correspondent over the mobile phone, the victim said," Our wedding was scheduled for January 15. Maksud raped me and more 6/7 assisted them. Sajib managed to escape and screamed for help, after which locals rescued us.”

Md Farid, officer-in-charge of Manpura Police Station, said police are conducting raids to arrest the accused. The victim has been sent to Bhola Sadar Hospital for medical examination.