4 youths sentenced to life imprisonment in gang rape case 17 years ago

The tribunal has sentenced four youths to life imprisonment in a gang rape case that took place 17 years ago in Ashrafbad, Kamrangirchar, in the capital. Today, Sunday (February 22), Judge Munshi Md. Moshiar Rahman of Dhaka’s Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal No. 4 announced the verdict.
‎The convicts are Shahidul Islam (23), Saiful Islam (25), Nizam (24) and Monir Hossain alias Sentu (26). Court prosecutor Ershad Alam (George) said, “In addition to the sentence, each of the accused has been fined one lakh taka, in default of which the court has sentenced them to one year of rigorous imprisonment.” Among the convicted accused, Saiful Islam is absconding. The tribunal has issued an arrest warrant against him. The remaining three accused were present in the court. After the verdict was announced, they were sent to jail with a warrant of punishment.
The details of the case reveal that on September 26, 2009, at 6:30 pm, the young woman went to the boat ghat next to the flour mill in Ashrafbad, Kamrangirchar with her friend. At one point, her friend left her and went home. After the friend left, at 6:45 pm, the accused forcibly took her on a boat and took her to the middle of the Buriganga River, threatening to kill her, and threw the boatman into the river.
Later, the accused took turns raping her in the boat. After raping her, the accused locked her in a room. On receiving the news, her parents rescued her and admitted her to Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Later, she herself filed a case at the police station. After investigating the case, Kamrangirchar Police Station SI Shafiqul Islam Sikder filed a charge sheet against the accused on October 31, 2010. Later, charges were framed against them and the trial began. During the trial of the case, the tribunal recorded the testimony of eight people.