A man has been sentenced to 40 years in prison for raping his elder brother's daughter in Joypurhat.
In the case of raping the 13-year-old girl in Haripur village of Sadar upazila, the accused Masud Rana has also been sentenced to two more years imprisonment for non-payment of a fine of Tk 200,000.
Judge Rostam Ali of the District Women and Child Abuse Suppression Tribunal handed down the verdict on Thursday afternoon. Judge Nripendranartha Mandal of the judge's court confirmed the verdict.
Masud Rana is the son of Abul Kalam Azad of Haripur Uttarpara village in Sadar upazila. He has been on the run since the incident. The verdict was given in his absence.
According to the details of the case, on June 30, 2012, at noon, the girl from Haripur village of Joypurhat Sadar Upazila went to a field near her house to respond to the call of nature. On this occasion his uncle Masud Rana entered there and raped him. At that moment, the locals rushed forward and Masood Rana fled.
On July 2, the girl used pesticides in her house as she could not bear the shame of being raped by her uncle. His family members admitted him to Joypurhat District Modern Hospital and he died that night.
The next day, the girl's father filed a case with the Sadar Police Station. Later, on November 18 of the same year, the investigating officer of the case, SI Dewan Asadul Haque, filed a chargesheet in the court.
The court's PP Nripendranartha Mandal said the girl had committed suicide that day out of public shame. The court has sentenced uncle Masud Rana to imprisonment and fine under two sections of the case. The accused has been absconding since the incident. However, the verdict will be effective after the arrest.
