A tribunal in Noakhali on Monday sentenced two people to life imprisonment in a case over the rape of a housewife at Joykrishnapur village in Begumganj upazila of Noakhali district in September last year.

The horrific incident of sexual violence after around 10 days of another rape incident at Sylhet’s MC College sparked huge outcry across the country.

The lifers are Delwar Hossain alias Delu, leader of ‘Delwar Bahini’ and his associate Mohammad Ali alias Abul Kalam, residents of Eklashpur union of the upazila.

Read: Noakhali Housewife Molestation: Probe finds involvement of victim’s husband

Noakhali Women and Child Repression Prevention Tribunal-1 Judge Joynal Abedin handed down the verdict in the presence of the convicts  at 11am.

The convicts were fined Tk 50,000 each, in default,  to suffer three months more rigorous imprisonment.

Advocate Mamunur Rashid Lablu ‍stood for the state while advocate Mollah Habibur Rasul Mamun represented the plaintiff and advocate Jasim Uddin Badal for the accused.

According to court sources, the court had earlier framed charges against the accused on February 17. Later on August 18, the testimony of the plaintiff was recorded in the presence of the accused.

Read: Noakhali housewife molestation: Rape case filed against Delwar

On October 6 in 2020,  the victim filed the case against Delwar and Kalam at Begumganj Model Police Station under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act.

The case was later handed over to the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI). The PBI submitted a chargesheet to the court on December 15, 2020.

Police said Delwar violated the victim several times at gun point one year ago.

According to the case statement, the victim was molested by some local miscreants of ‘Delwar Bahini’ at Ward No. 9 of Eklashpur Union on September 2 in 2020.

The incident came to light after a video of the barbaric incident went viral on the internet.

Read: Noakhali housewife molestation: Two more accused held

The miscreants tortured the housewife after undressing her and captured it on phone. The video sent a shock wave throughout the country, triggering protests everywhere.

The victim filed two cases accusing nine people 33 days after the incident.

One of the cases was filed under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act and another under the Pornography Control Act.