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Sylhet, May 06, 2025:The trial of two cases related to the gang rape of a young woman at the hostel of Murari Chand (MC) College in Sylhet has commenced in the Fast-Track Tribunal. On Tuesday, May 6, the first hearing was held in the presence of the eight accused at Sylhet’s Fast-Track Tribunal.
Previously, the cases were under the jurisdiction of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal in Sylhet. During the hearing, Tribunal Judge Swapan Kumar Sarkar set May 13 as the date for recording witness testimonies.
Public Prosecutor (PP) for Sylhet’s Fast-Track Tribunal, Abul Hossain, stated that the cases were transferred to the Fast-Track Tribunal following the plaintiff’s application and directives from the High Court. All eight accused were present during the initial hearing, and the recording of evidence is scheduled to begin on May 13.
Shahiduzzaman Chowdhury, the lead panel lawyer for the plaintiff, highlighted that numerous obstacles were created to hinder justice in the case. He noted that an appeal was filed by the Attorney General’s Office against a High Court order, describing it as an unprecedented move.
The incident occurred on the night of September 25, 2020, when a 20-year-old woman was gang-raped at the MC College hostel after her husband was held captive. The victim’s husband filed a case at Shahparan Police Station, naming six individuals and two unidentified persons as accused. Within three days, police and RAB arrested six named accused and two suspects. The accused later provided confessional statements in court.
DNA tests confirmed the involvement of six of the eight accused. On December 3, 2021, the investigating officer, Inspector (Investigation) Indranil Bhattacharya of Shahparan Police Station, submitted a charge sheet against the eight accused.
The gang rape incident in September 2020 sparked nationwide outrage, leading to the swift arrest of eight individuals, including student leaders of the Chhatra League. A separate case related to extortion was also filed at the time. Both cases will now proceed under the Fast-Track Tribunal Act.
AI/MR
