A court in Rangpur has handed down its verdict in the case of the rape of a housewife 15 years after the incident. The verdict has sentenced the accused Mominul Islam Babu (30) to life imprisonment with rigorous imprisonment.
In addition, the other two defendants in the case have been acquitted.
Judge Mustafa Kamal of Rangpur's Women and Child Abuse Prevention Court-1 delivered the verdict on Wednesday (August 31).
According to the case details, on May 26, 2007, a housewife living in the city's Tajhat Railway Slum was traveling to Modern More via Lalbagh in a rickshaw.
When Mominul Islam Babu arrived at the area adjacent to Lalbagh Farm, he took the housewife to a shack and raped her. At that time, two men named Asadul and Ranju Mia were guarding outside.
When the housewife's screams prompted the neighbors to come forward, the accused fled. The locals then arrested Asadul and took him to the city's Mahiganj police outpost.
The next day, the housewife herself filed a case under the Women and Child Abuse Act at the Kotwali Police Station.
After the investigation, SI Azizul Islam, the investigating police officer in the case, submitted a chargesheet against the three accused in the court on July 17, 2007.
After hearing the testimony of 12 witnesses and questioning, the court found the accused Aminul Islam Babu guilty and sentenced him to life imprisonment. The court acquitted the other two accused Asadul and Ranju as the charges were not proven.
