Cricketer Rubel cleared of rape charges

National cricketer Rubel Hossain came out clean as a tribunal Wednesday exempted him from rape charges in a case filed by actress Naznin Akhtar Happy, reports UNB.
Tanjina Ismail, Judge of the Dhaka Women and Child Repression Prevention Tribunal-5, passed the order after rejecting the 'no-confidence' (naraji) petition filed by Happy's lawyer.
On May 17, advocate Tuhin Hawlader, Happy's lawyer, filed a 'naraji' petition against the final report submitted by Inspector of Tejgaon Victim Support Centre Halima Khatun to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's court on April 6.
The final report said no evidence of Happy's rape allegation against Rubel was found in the examination.
The tribunal granted bail to Rubel Hossain in the case on the same day and fixed May 20 for hearing the petition.
On December 13 last year, actress Happy filed the case against Rubel under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act 2000.
The High Court (HC) on December 15 granted Rubel an anticipatory bail for four weeks as he surrendered to it seeking bail.
On January 6, the HC summarily dismissed a writ petition filed by actress Happy seeking the removal of the pacer from the Bangladesh National Cricket team.
On January 8, a metropolitan magistrate's court sent the national cricketer to jail on his surrender, rejecting his bail plea in the rape case.
Later on January 11, responding to a fresh bail plea filed by the detained accused, acting Metropolitan Session's Judge KM Imrul Kayes granted him the bail until submission of the police report on the case.
According to the first information report (FIR), Rubel had been involved in physical relationship with the actress for eight months.  It also said Rubel had promised to marry her and thus developed the physical relationship.
On April 6, Happy's allegation of rape against national team pace bowler Rubel Hossain was not proved by the forensic test done in this connection at Tejgaon Victim Support Centre.
On April 13, the rape case was transferred to the Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal.