Locals say Dhaka hotel rape suspect Nayem is Sirajganj's Halim

A man accused of rape in Dhaka has been identified with a different name in Sirajganj.

Nayem Ashraf is among the five accused in a case for raping two university students with his friend Safat Ahmed in Banani's Raintree hotel.

Amid the hype over the case involving wealthy suspects, locals in Kazipur Upazila recognised him as Hasan Mohammad Halim.

As proof, they produced posters and banners of Halim, Vice President of the Upazila’s Swechchhasebak League, the ruling Awami League’s volunteer wing. The faces appeared identical.

"We didn’t understand when we saw this Nayem on TV. After seeing the photos, we knew it was our Halim," said Shahida Begum, an elderly woman from Gandail village.

Dipu Sarwar, a special correspondent of Ekushey Television who hails from that area, also identified Nayem as Halim.

The five suspects of the case filed earlier this week are absconding.

The girls said they were invited to a birthday party for Safat, 26, son of an owner of Apan Jewellers, on Mar 28.

They accused Safat and Nayeem,30, of raping them at gunpoint and having the assault filmed by Safat's driver and bodyguard.

They said their friend Shadman Sakif, a Regnum Group director, helped the rapists. 

Nayem is said to have a strong influence over Safat, according to the latter's former wife Faria Mahbub Piasha.

A Mirpur resident, Nayem claimed to own an event management firm but Piasha claimed it was a fake.

But according to Ekushey TV's Dipu Sarwar, Nayem is Managing Director of eMakers, an event management firm that organised a concert with Indian singer Arijit Singh in 2014.  

His firm organised another concert with Indian singer Neha Kakkar in 2016. The eMaker's website has been unavailable since the rape allegations surfaced, said Sarwar.

"Nayem Ashraf's village home is Kazipur's Gandail. His father is Amjad Hossain. His real name is Halim. He is a full-fledged cheat," Dipu added.

Halim, like Nayem Ashraf, also lives in Mirpur, according to locals. Their home in Gandail village was padlocked on Wednesday noon.

A neighbour Mahmuda Khatun said, "Halim is their only son. He took away his parents to Dhaka just a few days ago." Her husband, a day labourer, also said the same.

"Halim hasn’t been home in five to six years. He has no connection with home. They own around 17 decimals of land including their home and farmland.

“His father used to be sell pots and plates. He also worked as a farm hand."

Halim married twice in Dhaka, they added.

Kazipur Juba League Joint General Secretary Mozaharul Islam said Halim never take part in programmes of the organisation. "But he had banners, festoons carrying his name as Upazila Swechchhasebak League vice-president put up."     

He said Juba League complained to Swechchhasebak League against Halim but the latter did not remove the banners and festoons for 'some unknown reasons'.

Kazipur Swechchhasebak League Organising Secretary Nazmul Huda Mishti identified Nayem Ashraf as Hasan Mohammad Halim from Nayem's photos published in newspapers.

"His name is not on the committee. He cheated in using the post in the banners," Nazmul said.

Kazipur Awami League Joint General Secretary Al Amin said he had to rescue Halim from situations.

"Halim has been involved in fraud since childhood. He committed several misdeeds earlier by changing his and his parents' names," Al Amin said.

Gandail Union Parishad Chairman Ashraful Alam told bdnews24.com that Halim married once in Bogra, using fake name and address, when he was a student.

He married once again in Dhaka's Mohammadpur a year ago, Ashraful said.

"He comes to the area once or twice a year. Fraud is his profession. He has been a cheat since his school days. Many have complained to me against him. But I can't try him because he is not here," he added.

Auto-rickshaw driver Shamim Hossain, identifying himself as an uncle of Halim, said Halim passed SSC from Gandail High School in 2004.

"He was caught after drawing question papers from Rajshahi education board, posing as the headmaster, when he was a student of the school," recalled Shamim.

He then enrolled at Bogra Polytechnic Institute and married a girl from a wealthy family by identifying himself as the son of an influential contractor there, Shamim said.

"The girl's family beat Halim up and took her back when they came to know about his real identity. Bogra Polytechnic also expelled him. I've heard that he later got admitted to Tejgaon Polytechnic Institute in Dhaka and did a diploma there," he added.

Shopkeeper Abu Sayeed of the village said, "Halim did many misdeeds by claiming influential people were his father at different times. But this time he may not get away."