TANGAIL, Feb 12 (UNB): A court here on Monday sentenced four people to death and another person to seven years' imprisonment for killing law student Zakia Sultana Rupa after gang rape in a running bus on August 25 last year.
Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal Judge Abul Hossain Miah pronounced the verdict in a crowded courtroom.
The condemned convicts are bus driver Habib Miah, 45, son of Shahidul Islam of Mirzapur village in Mymensingh Sadar upazila, and bus helpers Shamim Miah, 26, son of Khorshed Alam of Nandibari village of Mymensingh's Muktagachha upazila, Akram, 35, son of late Kamal Hossain of the same village, and Jahangir Alam, 19, son of Emadadul Haque of Mirzapur village.
Bus supervisor Safar Ali alias Gendu, 55, son of Sultan Ali of Mirzapur village, was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment and fined Tk 100,000 (1.0 lakh).
The court also ordered the authorities concerned to give the bus in which Rupa was gang raped as well as the fine money to her family as compensation.
The prosecution and the family expressed their satisfaction over the verdict.
Special Public Prosecutor Advocate Nasimul Aktar Nasim said, "It's a historical verdict. We're happy with it. Within only five months and 17 days, the trial of the case has been completed."
He, however, said the convicts can file appeal with the High Court against the verdict.
Rupa's brother Hafizur Rahman, also complainant of the case, demanded speedy execution of the verdict.
According to prosecution, Rupa, 27, was murdered after gang rape in the running bus while returning to Mymensingh from Bogra.
Police recovered her bloodstained body from Panchmail area of Madhupur upazila on that night.
Following post-mortem, she was buried at the town central graveyard as an unclaimed body. Later, the victim's relatives identified her seeing her photograph.
On August 28, police arrested the five accused from Mymensingh in this connection.
On August 31, police exhumed the body of Rupa and handed it over to her family for burial in a proper manner.
On October 25 last, the court accepted the charge sheet against the accused and it concluded the recording of depositions of witnesses in the case on January 23 when 27 witnesses out of total 32 testified before the court.
On February 5, the court fixed today for delivering the verdict.
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