A case was filed against five leaders and activists of the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party and its associate organisations on charges of rape and looting of a woman at Puthia upazila in Rajshahi.

The victim, 46, lodged the case with the Puthia police in the early hours of Saturday, naming five people and accusing 12 to 13 unidentified others, said officer-in-charge Faridul Islam.

The named accused are Md Firoz, 35, president of Jiupara union unit of Sramik Dal, labour wing of BNP, Saiful Islam, 40, member secretary of Jiupara union Swechhasebok Dal, volunteer wing of the party, BNP activists Md Bulbul, 28, and Md Murad, 32, and Md Sumon, 32, activist of Jubo Dal, the party’s youth wing.

All are residents of Dhopapara Karigaripara village in the upazila.

The OC said that they had arrested Murad and sent him to jail through a court on Saturday, while efforts were under way to arrest the remaining accused.

The victim was sent to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital for medical examination, he added.

According to the case statement, the woman, originally from Naldanga in Natore, had been living in rented accommodation in different areas of Puthia for some time and recently moved into a house at Dhopapara Karigaripara village.

She alleged that on Wednesday night a band of men forced into her house after accusing her of immoral conduct involving a teenage boy.

The accused allegedly looted cash, jewellery and a mobile phone when accused Saiful raped her.

The victim further alleged that accused Firoz then told her that he would take her to a safe place but instead took her by motorcycle to a deserted field at Ujalpur village, where he called Murad to the scene.

At around 11:00pm, Murad arrived and allegedly raped her in the field, she stated in her complaint.

Firoz, however, denied the allegations and claimed that a boy had gone to the woman’s house for ‘immoral purposes’ and local residents then caught the both.

He said that all present at the scene took decision to force her out of the village that night when he took her to the market on his motorbike, denying the charges of rape and robbery.

He claimed that the woman filed the case with false allegations to retaliate her banishment from the village.