Army man gets life for rape

25 November 2009, 17:00 PM

Our Correspondent, Chapainawabganj

A trial court here yesterday sentenced an army man to life term rigorous imprisonment (RI) for raping a college girl in 2008. Judge of Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-1 Anwar Hossain pronounced the verdict in presence of the accused. The court also fined him Tk 50,000, in default, to suffer more three years' rigorous imprisonment. Convict Monirul Islam,25, is son of Almas Uddin of Kalinagar-Bablabona village under Sadar upazila in the district. According to the prosecution story, Monirul Islam was a sepoy of Bangladesh Army at Jessore Cantonment. He took leave in May 2008 and came to his village home in Chapainawabganj. On May 14, he met college girl Merina Khatun of his village when she was waiting for a rickshaw in front of Chapainawabganj Government College. He offered her to share his rickshaw. As Merina readily agreed, Monirul took her to a place at Shahibag in the town instead of her house. There he violated her at noon. Later, Monirul sent Merina to her parents' house at Kalinagar-Bablabona by a mishuk and fled away. Merina was immediately admitted to Chapainawabganj Sadar Hospital. The next day, victim's father Rafiqul Islam filed a case with Sadar police station under Women and Children Repression Prevention Act, 2003 bringing rape charge against Monirul. After investigation, police pressed charges against Monirul on March 2, 2009. Examining the prosecution witnesses and other relevant documents, the trial court handed down the verdict.