A Tangail court yesterday deferred the hearing on charge framing in Rupa Khatun rape and murder case as the Judge of Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal is on leave.

Judge Abul Mansur Miah of First Additional District and Sessions Judge's Court in Tangail, as acting judge of the tribunal, adjourned the hearing, said Ataur Rahman Azad, secretary of Tangail Manobadhikar Bastobayon Sangstha.

The court also fixed November 22 for the next hearing, he added.

The Sangstha is providing assistance to the state in the case.

Judge Abdul Mannan of Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal here on October 25 accepted the charge sheet pressed against five transport workers for killing law student Rupa Khatun after rape in a moving bus on August 25.

The court, however, fixed November 13 for hearing for framing charges against the accused, Ataur said.

Sub-Inspector Kaiyum Khan Siddique, investigation officer of the sensational case,  submitted the charge sheet to the Judicial Magistrate's Court in Tangail on October 15, he said. Later, the case was transferred to the Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal in Tangail, he added.

Police on August 25 recovered Rupa's body, then unidentified, from near Tangail-Mymensingh road in Madhupur upazila.

Sub-Inspector Aminul Islam of Madhupur Police Station filed a murder case against unidentified criminals with the police station in this regard.

Seeing news in media, Rupa's family members went to Madhupur Police Station on August 28 and identified the victim.

The next day, law enforcers picked up five staff of a bus -- helpers Shamim, 26, Akram, 35, and Jahangir, 20, driver Habibur, 45, and supervisor Safar Ali, 55, -- from Madhupur.

The arrestees gave their confessional statements to the Senior Judicial Magistrate's Court in Tangail on August 29 and 30, admitting their involvement in the crime.