What the Raintree rapists said in their confessions

The two men who allegedly raped two women at Banani's Raintree Hotel in March this year have revealed details in their confessions that show that their crimes were premeditated. Prime accused Shafat Ahmed in his confessional statement, given on May 18 before Metropolitan Magistrate Ahsan Habib, admitted the rape and stated details about the incident. The other accused Nayeem Ashraf (real name Abdul Halim) gave his to Metropolitan Magistrate Satya Brata Shikder on May 25. The confessions of the two rapists appear to show no remorse about their actions, although they appear to understand that the victims were inebriated and in no state to consent. [caption id="attachment_63655" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Raintree hotel authorities addressing a press conference in Dhaka on May 16, 2017 Dhaka Tribune[/caption] Nayeem's statement in particular, describes in detail how he forced himself upon his victim despite her protests. Shafat claims that he got frightened after violating the plaintiff, one of the victims, as he had unprotected sex and forced her to have an emergency contraceptive pill. He wanted to avoid 'unwanted complications' in the future.

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Nayeem Ashraf beat up a friend of the plaintiff when the plaintiff was refusing to take the pill. The rapists filmed Shahriar's statement forcing him to lie about being a drug dealer.

In their own words

In his statement, Shafat said that he got acquainted with Nayeem two or three months ago at the same hotel. Shadman Sakif was his old friend and neighbour. Both the victims were acquaintances of Shadman. It was Shadman who introduced the girls to the two rapists, only eight days before the incident at the Picasso restaurant in Tejgaon, which he owns. Shafat said that on March 27 he booked a presidential suite and a deluxe room at the Raintree Hotel. At night, Nayeem took three bottles of liquor from a seller in Banani named Firoz, and took them to the hotel.

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Nayeem also claims that he arranged for two women to come to the party the next day who he describes as prostitutes acquainted to him and Shafat. Shafat however, describes them as friends of Nayeem. On the night of the incident, the two victims, a friend of the plaintiff and his girlfriend came to the Raintree hotel, as did the two “friends of Nayeem.” After the group cut Shafat's birthday cake, the two victims were made to drink alcohol, according to Shafat's statement. He said Nayeem forced the second victim to drink a lot and later dragged her to the presidential suite. Nayeem however, claims he left at this point to drop off the other two women.

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The plaintiff's friend and his girlfriend were sent into another room. It was during this time that Shafat raped the plaintiff. He admits that the plaintiff had little sense and strength to protest due to inebriation and that he “took this opportunity.” “The room was dark. I received food from a hotel boy Raju after he rang the calling bell. Then I switched on the room's light. The girl then suddenly stood up, dressed herself. I realised that she did not like what I had done with her,” he said. [caption id="attachment_62556" align="aligncenter" width="850"] The Raintree Hotel, Dhaka Collected[/caption] The victim then went out from the room and entered her friend's room. “I was afraid and followed her. I did not understand what to do then. I thought that the unprotected sex can will cause trouble. So I called Sakif over on the phone,” he said. Sakif had gone home before the rape but came back at this point.

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When the victim's friend came out from his room, Shafat told him to ask the victim to take a contraceptive pill. “My driver brought medicine from shop but he did not take any steps. So, I informed Nayeem,” he said. Nayeem's confession is vague about when he returned to the hotel. But both statements admit that at this point, Nayeem called the plaintiff's male friend over to the presidential suite and started beating him up. Nayeem asked Billal, Shadman's driver, to film the incident. He also snatched away the man's car keys. After this, the plaintiff agreed to take the contraceptive pill. According to Nayeem's statement, after this he raped the second victim despite her protests. In his confession, he gave the magistrate a lurid description of what he had done.

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Shafat claims that Nayeem also wanted to rape the plaintiff but he prevented that from happening. The next morning, the criminals let the plaintiff's friend and his girlfriend out, took an Uber car and sent the two victims to their homes. “After the case was filed one month later, I was afraid and fled to Sylhet to avoid arrest,” Shafat said. According to the victims' statements, Shafat sent his gunmen to their homes several times to threaten them not to file the case. [caption id="attachment_62903" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Banani rape accused Shafaat Ahmed and Shadman Sakif being escorted by police in Dhaka on May 12, 2017 Dhaka Tribune[/caption] Based on the confessions and police investigation, it appears that the rape was preplanned and the victims were invited to a birthday party under the pretense that there would be many guests. Investigators scrutinised the guest register of the Raintree Hotel and found that the rapists had stored liquor on March 27 night for the next night's birthday party. The two victims filed a case on May 6 with Banani police against Shafat, son of Apan Jewellers owner Dildar Ahmed, and his friends Nayeem, Shadman Sakif, Shafaat’s driver Billal and his gunman Rahmat Ali. The Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal 2 of Dhaka took the charge sheet of the case into cognisance on June 19 and it will hold a hearing on indictment on Thursday. The five accused will be produced before the tribunal on that day.