Trial begins in Bakalia 'child rape' case

A Chattogram court has indicted Monir Hossain in a case over the rape of a 3-and-a-half-year-old child in Chairman Ghata of Chattogram's Bakalia, reports bdnews24.com

Chattogram Metropolitan Children Repression Prevention Tribunal Judge Syeda Hafza Jhuma made the decision on Tuesday.

The plaintiff and eight other witnesses have been asked to attend the court hearing on Wednesday, said Mahmud-ul Alam Chowdhury Maruf, a public prosecutor at the tribunal.

On Monday, the court had taken cognisance of the charges in the case. Monir was charged with rape under Section 9 (1) of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act, 2000 (Amended 2003).

Previously, police had taken the child's DNA report and recorded the statements of the accused and the victim under Section 164. A total of 22 people were called as witnesses in the case.