A Chattogram court today sentenced five robbers to life in prison in a case filed for raping four women of an expatriate family during a robbery in Karnafuli upazila of the district in 2017.

Chattogram Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-6 Judge Moin Uddin passed the order after the court found the accused guilty, reports our Chattogram staff correspondent quoting Special Public Prosecutor Adv Nazrul Islam Sentu.

The convicts are —Md Mizan Matabbar alias Shahid Howladar (45), Md Abu Sama (37), Md Mohidul Ilsma Munsi (31), Md Jahirul Islam Jahir and Elias Sheikh alias Suman. Among them, Suman is absconding.

"The court, however, acquitted another accused Abdul Hannan as it did not find any evidence against him," said the PP.

The court also fined each of the convicts Tk 1 lakh for the rape charges and Tk50,000 for robbery and failing to pay would require them to serve two and one year in jail, respectively.

A total of 21 witnesses had testified in the case, he added.

The Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) submitted a charge sheet against the robbers on August 3, 2019, while a court framed charges against them on November 22, 2020.