Rape of DU Student: Lone accused gets life term

The 30-year-old man who was accused of raping a Dhaka University student in January was sentenced to life imprisonment yesterday.

Judge Begum Mosammat Quamrunnahar of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-7 in Dhaka delivered the verdict in a packed courtroom after the trial ended in just 12 working days.

The judge also fined the convict, Md Majnu, Tk 50,000, and said he would be in jail for an additional six months if he failed to pay the fine.

She said the prosecutors proved the charges of rape and the accused had been handed the highest punishment for his crime.

The accused committed a heinous crime and he deserved the highest punishment as per the existing law, the judge observed.

This judgment will send a clear message to all rapists like Majnu, the judge added.

Before the delivery of the verdict, Majnu, a homeless man, told reporters that he was tortured into giving a confessional statement before a magistrate.

"Release me," he said, claiming that police arrested him for no reason. Four others had raped the girl, and he got implicated in the case, Majnu claimed.

At one stage, he attacked a policeman and swore at other cops in the court.

Before the pronouncement of the verdict, all reporters and other people were asked to leave the courtroom, witnesses said.

Parents and teachers of the DU student were not present at the court.

Her lawyer Abdur Rashid, who is with Ain O Salish Kendra, expressed satisfaction over the judgment.

Robiul Islam, who represented the accused, however, expressed dissatisfaction and said his client would challenge the judgement with the higher court.

On November 12, the tribunal fixed yesterday for delivery of the judgment after conclusion of arguments from both sides.

During arguments, the prosecutors told the tribunal that they were able to prove the charges against Majnu and sought exemplary punishment for him.

The defence lawyer told the tribunal that there were no eyewitnesses in the case and appealed to it to acquit the accused.

Twenty out of 24 prosecution witnesses, including the victim and complainant of the case, gave their depositions in the case.

On January 5, the DU student was raped while she was walking from Kurmitola bus stop to a friend's house near Shewra rail gate in the capital around 7:30pm.

The next day, the girl's father filed the case with Cantonment Police Station, accusing unknown suspects.

The rape sparked widespread protests and condemnations across the country. DU students protested on the streets and demanded immediate arrest of the culprits.

On January 8, the Rapid Action Battalion arrested Majnu in the capital's Shewra area. He was handed over to the Detective Branch of police, which was probing the case.

The following day, Manju was placed on seven-day remand.

On January 16, the arrestee confessed to a magistrate that he alone raped the woman.

DB Inspector Abu Bakar Siddique submitted the charge sheet against Majnu to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court in Dhaka on March 16.

On August 26, the Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-7 of Dhaka framed charges against the accused.