The prime accused in a case filed over the 'gang-rape' of a woman at Nabogram village in Kabirhat upazila reportedly confessed before a court in Noakhali yesterday to his involvement in the incident. Judge of the Noakhali-4 Cognisance Court Uzma Shukrana recorded the confessional statement of Zakir Hossain, said Kabirhat Police OC Mohammad Hasan. Police arrested three more people, including victim's stepbrother-in-law Abdur Rob Hossain Manna, 28, over the incident. The two other arrestees are Md Selim, 30, and Harun-or-Rashid, 22. Manna was the mastermind of the gang-rape and led the offenders in the incident, the OC said.

Zakir said Manna, Selim and Harun raped the woman and he stood in guard during the incident. Meanwhile, locals formed a human chain at Nabogram Bazar in the afternoon demanding exemplary punishment of the offenders. Zakir along with his three accomplices broke into the victim's house on Saturday as her husband was absent. They held the victim and her three children hostage and raped her in turns.