Gang members attacked a small town in central Haiti early Thursday, killing more than 20 people, including children, according to a human rights group. Another 50 people were injured as the Gran Grif gang burned homes and cars in the town of Pont-Sondé, said Bertide Harace, spokeswoman for the Commission for Dialogue, Reconciliation and Awareness to Save the Artibonite. “A lot of people ran and left the area,” she told Radio Kiskeya. A video posted on social media shows a group of people fleeing through the brush, with one woman who was out of breath saying, “Nowhere to go. Nowhere to go.” In another video, dozens of people start running through a street after hearing rumors that the gang was approaching. Harace and others criticized police in the nearby coastal city of Saint-Marc, saying they did not mobilize to help people being attacked in Pont-Sondé. Read:As UN meets, Haitians express hopelessness at finding an international solution to gang crisis Venson François, a government prosecutor based in Saint-Marc, called the attack a “massacre” in an interview with Radio Caraïbes. Dozens of people crowded around a hospital in Saint-Marc where the injured were taken, with one man telling reporters that local authorities are not doing enough to protect people. The attack in Pont-Sondé was blamed on the Gran Grif gang. It operates in the central Artibonite region, and experts have described it as one of Haiti’s cruelest gangs. It has gained control of more territory since 2022 under the leadership of Luckson Elan, who was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department last month. In January 2023, the Gran Grif gang was accused of attacking a police station in Liancourt, located near Pont-Sondé, and killing at least six officers. Violence unleashed by the gang also forced the closure of a hospital in February 2023 that serves more than 700,000 people. Read more: Human rights group calls on governments to protect Venezuelan and Haitian immigrants Former Haitian legislator Prophane Victor, who represented the Artibonite department, began arming young men who eventually formed the Gran Grif gang to secure his election and control over the area, according to a U.N. report. The U.S. also sanctioned Victor last month. The gang has about 100 members and has been accused of crimes including murder, rape, robberies and kidnappings, according to the report. While most of the gang violence is concentrated in the capital of Port-au-Prince, it has spread in recent years to the Artibonite region, where much of Haiti's food is produced.

Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today (March 19, 2023) asked law enforcement agencies to take action against cybercrime and the trend of teen gangs. “We’ll have to monitor cybercrimes and take action accordingly. RAB and intelligence agencies will have to play a decisive role in this regard,” she said. The prime minister was speaking at the 19th founding anniversary of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) at the force’s headquarters in Dhaka’s Kurmitola. Saying that her government developed the country as “Digital Bangladesh”, the PM said cybercrimes have increased as the scope of digitization expanded. Also Read: PM meets UK’s cross-party delegation, discusses Rohingya Sheikh Hasina said the aim of Digital Bangladesh is to ensure the wellbeing of the people, not to cause distress. She said there are some anti-state forces. They see “nothing, no matter how much advancement Bangladesh achieves.” There is another section of people who “defame Bangladesh to foreigners and secure financial or other benefits through this,” the PM said. Talking about the US sanction imposed on RAB officials, the premier asked RAB personnel not to be upset at what others said about them but rather move ahead resolutely. “This is our country that was freed through the sacrifice of blood… We know who does what and we’ll assess accordingly. We have to work with confidence,” she said. Read More: Man killed in RAB gunfire for 'protesting neighbour's arrest,' family says “We will have to identify those who carry out propaganda and defame Bangladesh. We will have to find out why they are doing it and their purpose,” she added. The PM said Bangladeshis can judge who has done good or bad. “If anyone commits an offense, we must speak about it. Don’t be upset at what some people are saying. You will have to move ahead with a sense of self-esteem and confidence,” she said. About the rising trend of teen gangs, Sheikh Hasina said parents, teachers and public representatives alongside law enforcers must take responsibility to put an end to the culture of teen gangs. “The teen gangs must be stopped,” she said. Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan and RAB Director General Additional IGP M Khurshid Hossain also spoke at the programme. Read More: 8 arrested while trying to rob a RAB vehicle in Narayanganj: RAB

Chattagram, Feb 6 (UNB)- Police have arrested a union parishad member who allegedly raped a woman along with others in Sitakundu upazila of Chattogram. A team of police of Sitakundu Model Police Station arrested UP member Jahed Sultan Robin from a relative's house in Lalanagar area early Monday. Tofael Ahmed, officer-in-charge of Sitakunda Model Police Station, said they conducted a drive after the woman’s husband filed a case against him. “We arrested him at around 3 am. He was sent to a court,” he said. Police said the rape survivor and his husband were picked up at Sonaichhari union by UP member Jahed Sultan Robin and some cohorts while there were going to their workplace. They tied up the man and raped his wife by turns at the office of the UP member. They also looted two mobile phone sets and gold ornaments from them. Police from a local police station rescued the couple after getting a call on emergency helpline no 999. Robin went into hiding soon after the incident.

Police arrested three alleged members of a gang of thieves in Sadar upazila of Kurigram on Thursday night. The arrestees are Asif Iqbal ,40, of Hospital Para area, Saddam, 29, of the same area and Hridoy, 26, of Horikes Madhyapara area. A team of Sadar police conducted a special drive in the Judge Court area on Thursday night and arrested them, said Khan Muhammad Shahriar, officer-in-charge (OC) of Sadar police station. During the drive, a stolen motorcycle and some goods were seized from their possessions. The arrestees were sent to jail on Friday, added the OC.  

Detectives on Sunday arrested three alleged members of a gang of thieves in the capital. The arrestees are Anik Hasan,22, Nahid Hossain,19 and Nadeem Mohammad Sagor, 18. Read: Youth gets bail after marrying victim in Ctg Tipped off, a team of DB police conducted drives in capital's Bashundhara and Vatara areas and in Cumilla on Sunday and arrested them, said DMP’s Media and Public Relations wing Deputy Commissioner (DC) Mohammad Faruque Hossain.

A member of a robber gang in Cox’s Bazar was killed on Monday as two gangs of robbers clashed over enmity at Chakaria Dulahazara on Monday night. Deceased Amir Hossain, gang leader, was a resident of Dumkhali reserve area in Dulahazara. READ: Two female tourists die in Cox’s Bazar Members of Amir Hossain gang clashed with the members of Abdur Rahman gang. A person was killed in the clash, said officer-in-charge of Chakaria police, Jewel Islam According to the locals, the gangs had a long-standing enmity. A few days ago, a member of Amir Hossain gang beat up a member of Abdur Rahman gang for which the member of that gang attacked Amir Hossain on Monday night leaving him dead.

A 9th grade school girl was gang raped Tuesday in Dholarhat of Thakurgaon Sadar Upazila. The incident occurred in Haragachh village of Dholarhat union when the girl went to meet her boyfriend. The victim alleged that her boyfriend, Sujan, a 10th grade student of Islamnagar High School and resident of Debiganj village, and 4-5 others including Ashraful and Biplob raped her. Sujan took her to a chicken farm away from her house where his companions were waiting. Afterwards they left her unconscious near her house at midnight, she said. READ: 30-year-old rapes schoolgirl in Magura, held Her father said that at around 1.30 am he heard his daughter crying in the yard. He came out of the house and found her bleeding. He also saw several wound marks on her body. That night, the victim was taken to a local doctor and a union parishad member was informed about the incident, her father said. Officer-in-charge (OC) of Ruhia Police Station Chittaranjan Roy said he had not received any written complaint from the family yet. However, the crime scene was identified according to the victim’s description. The victim's medical examination was also completed on Wednesday and attempts were being made to identify the accused, the OC said. READ: Man to die for killing woman after rape in Ctg Meanwhile, victim's brother-in-law Sohel Rana said that the family was preparing to file an abduction and rape case.

A 16-year-old girl was allegedly raped by five to seven youths whom she asked for directions to reach her grandmother's house in Natore Thursday. Police claimed to arrested five of the youths in the early hours of Friday. The girl left her home in Naldanga upazila on Thursday noon after a fight with her mother, said Munsur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Natore Sadar police station. READ: Rape case accused arrested in Sylhet "However, she lost her way in the Chatni area of Natore Sadar upazila in the evening while going to her grandmother's house. When she asked the accused for help, they took her to a deserted cremation ground and took turns to rape her," the OC said. Locals spotted the girl in the late hours of Thursday and dialled 999. They also handed over to the police five of the youths whom they caught. However, locals said, two other accused managed to escape in the dark. Bangladesh's rape epidemic Sexual assaults on women continue unabated in Bangladesh, despite the government introducing death penalty for rapes last year. A police headquarters report, released recently, said that 26,695 rape cases were filed across the country in the past five years. Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) data shows that 1,018 children were raped last year alone, but only 683 police cases had been filed. Also, 116 survivors were six years old or below. Overall, 1,627 rape cases were reported last year and 53 of the women were killed by the perpetrators while 14 took their own lives, as per the data. However, ASK's data is just the tip of the iceberg, according to aid agencies, who report that most women are too afraid to report rape. In October 2020, the country was rocked by protests after a woman was allegedly attacked and raped in Noakhali. READ: Main accused in a Chandpur rape case evades arrest; 3 held In November last year, Bangladesh introduced capital punishment for rape, following days of protests against sexual violence against women in several cities across the country. But human rights organisations say the move will not solve the country's rape crisis, as the survivors of the heinous crime are often stigmatised in the society.

In a drive against human trafficking Rab have arrested three members of gang from Dhaka city, Satkhira and Madaripur districts after wide media coverage of the smuggling of a woman and her teenaged daughter to India. The drive, conducted from Sunday night to Monday morning, came amid reports of growing incidents of trafficking people luring them with jobs abroad, a Rab officer said. According to Rab the gang members were involved in the trafficking of a 17-year-old girl in last January promising her a job in an Indian parlour. Later the girl’s mother was also trafficked. Also read: Human trafficking ring busted in Natore, 2 held They both have been rescued and repatriated to Bangladesh.   The arrestees were identified as Kallu Shohagh alias Kallu Nagin Shohag alias Kallu, 40, ringleader of Kala-Nagin syndicate and son of Matiur Rahman of Madaripur district, Mohammad Shohagh alias Shohagh alias Nagin Shohagh, 32, son of Kabir Hossain of Dhaka’s Pallabi area and Billal Hossain, 41, son of Akimuddin Morol of Satkhira district. Tipped off, a team of Rab-4 conducted the simultaneous drive and arrested them from Madaripur’s Shibchar upazila, Satkhira’s Debhata upazila and Pallabi area of the capital, said ASP Imran Khan of Rab Headquarters (media). After interrogation, Rab came to know that the syndicate members have long been involved in trafficking women and young girls to India with a promise of lucrative jobs there. Some 20-25 members were involved in the gang and Billal used to work as the agent of the gang along the bordering Satkhira district, said Rab. Also read: Rab arrests seven members of an alleged human trafficking gang The syndicate members are active in Mirpur, Tejgaon and Gazipur district. In the wake of the alleged fraud, cases have been filed by relatives of the victims in Bangladesh at various times. Complaints have also been received from several families who have gone missing at different times. Accordingly, RAB has intensified its intelligence surveillance. Rab launched an investigation on trafficking of women to India and over the recent alleged rape and torture of a Bangladeshi woman by fellow Bangladeshis there.