Staff Reporter :
A tribunal in Dhaka on Thursday sentenced Majnu, lone accused in a case filed over the rape of a Dhaka University (DU) student in city’s Kurmitola, to life term.
Judge Begum Mosammat Quamrunnahar of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-7 of Dhaka delivered the verdict in presence of Majnu.
The court also fined him Tk 50,000. In default, he will have to stay six months more in jail.
Expressing satisfaction over the verdict, the state counsel Afroza Farhana Ahmed Orange said, “We are satisfied with the verdict as the tribunal gave highest punishment of life term imprisonment to the accused. We got justice.”
Meanwhile, defence lawyer Rabiul Islam said, “We didn’t get justice. We will file a plea with the top court against the verdict.” On November 12, the same tribunal fixed Thursday (November 19) to pass its order on the case after closing arguments of both sides.
On January 5, the DU student boarded a Dhaka University bus at about 5:30pm. She got down from the bus at about 7:00pm at Kurmitola bus stand and was heading toward a friend’s house at a nearby area at that night.
Soon after she got down from the university bus, someone grabbed her from behind, gagged her and took her to an isolated place nearby where she was raped and beaten. At one stage, she fell unconscious.
After regaining consciousness, she found herself at an isolated place. Later, she went to Dhaka Medical College Hospital hiring a CNG-run auto-rickshaw.
The following day, the victim’s father lodged a case with Cantonment Police Station accusing an unidentified person.
Rapid Action Battalion arrested Majnu on January 8 and, later, handed him over to Cantonment police.
Earlier on March 16, the Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) submitted the chargesheet before the same court against Majnu.
The court on August 16 accepted the chargesheet.
