Banani rape case: Two accused arrested
Sylhet: Police on Thursday night arrested two accused from Sylhet city's Pathantula area in connection with the case filed over the rape of two private university girls in a Banani hotel.
The arrestees are prime accused Safat Ahmed and Sadman Sakif.
Police Headquarters Assistant Inspector General (Media) Soheli Ferdous and Sylhet Additional Police Super (Media) Sugyan Chakma confirmed that a team of police arrested the duo at about 8:30pm.
He also said they were being taken to Dhaka.
Earlier in the day, the two victims gave their judicial statements before a court in Dhaka in the case.
Metropolitan Magistrate Nurun Nahar Yasmin recorded statements of the victims under section of 22 of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act.
Earlier, Ismat Ara Amy, sub-inspector of the Women Support and Investigation Division of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) and the investigation officer of the case, produced the two girls before the court.
In their depositions, the victims narrated how they were raped in the posh hotel at Banani.
Meanwhile, another Dhaka court granted police to conduct laboratory test on the dress of one of the victims wearing at the time of rape.
Metropolitan Magistrate Delwar Hossain gave the permission following a petition filed by Inspector (Investigation) of Banani Police Station Abdul Matin on Wednesday.
One of the rape victims filed a case with Banani Police Station on May 6 accusing five people.
Of the accused, Safat Ahmed and Nayeem Ashraf were sued for raping the two female university students while Sadman Sakif, Safat's driver Billal and his unnamed bodyguard for abetting in the crime.
According to the case statement, the plaintiff along with her friend went to a residential hotel at Banani to attend the birthday party of Safat at about 9:00pm on March 28.
The two prime accused -- Safat and Nayeem -- confined them to two rooms of the hotel at gunpoint after the rooftop birthday party was over at midnight. The two girls were made to drink liquor before being raped. Safat raped the plaintiff while Nayeem her friend.
Safat's driver Billal filmed the incident, she said in the FIR adding that they got introduced with Safat and Nayeem through Sadman Sakif.

NTV Online