A Chattogram tribunal on Wednesday sentenced the lone accused to life imprisonment in a case filed over the rape of a three-and-a-half-year-old girl in the Bakalia area of Chattogram city last month.

Judge of the Chattogram Children Violence Suppression Tribunal Syeda Hafsa Juma handed down the punishment, setting a new precedent in judicial proceedings as the trial concluded within 27 days following the incident.

The convict is Monir Hossain, 32, a worker of a decorator shop in the Bakalia area. He hails from Muradnagar upazila in Cumilla district. The court also fined him Tk 50,000.

The convict was present in the dock when the judge pronounced the verdict.

According to the prosecution, the girl was raped by Monir on May 21 this year.

Local people caught him red-handed and later police arrested him.

However, while he was being taken to the police station after the arrest, an agitated crowd surrounded them, demanding that he be handed over to them.

To bring the situation under control, police charged baton, lobbed teargas shells and fired sound grenades, leaving several of them injured.

During the incident, the angry mob also set fire to a police vehicle.

On June 4, police completed investigation against Monir and submitted a charge sheet against him on June 9.

GM Zahed Hossain, lawyer of the plaintiff, said they will file an appeal with the High Court seeking capital punishment for the convict.