Two sentenced to life in prison for sexual assault on Noakhali woman

A Noakhali court has sentenced Delwar Hossain Delu and his accomplice Abul Kalam to life in prison over a sexual assault and rape case in Begumganj.

District Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-1 Judge Jainal Abedin delivered the verdict in the case on Monday, reports bdnews24.com.

The court also fined the convicts Tk 50,000 each, with three months of imprisonment without parole if they fail to pay, said state lawyer Mamunur Rashid Lablu.

The court heard statements from 12 state witnesses and three defence witnesses during the 13 working days of the trial, he added.

The two suspects were brought to court to hear the verdict and have returned to jail under police guard following the announcement.

According to the case files, Delwar led a group of men to the home of a woman in Eklashpur Union’s Joykrishnapur village on Sept 2, 2020. The group then stripped her naked and beat her.

A month later, on Oct 4, a video of the assault went viral on social media. Police took the woman, who had been hiding in fear of her assailants, into their protection that day.

On Oct 5, 2020, the woman then filed a rape case against Delwar and Kalam over two separate incidents on Oct 5, 2019, and Apr 7, 2020.

Two other cases were filed under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act and the Pornography Act for the group sexual assault and the distribution of the video on social media. Delwar, Kalam and seven others have been accused in these two cases.

Delwar and Kalam were indicted in the rape case on Feb 17.

“We asked the court for the highest punishment,” said state lawyer Mamunur Rashid Lablu. “But we are satisfied with the result.”

“I asked for the death sentence,” the victim said. “But, according to the court’s verdict, they will not be released from prison. I am satisfied with this.”