A suspected robber died from a mob beating in Chattogram’s Sitakunda upazila on early Monday.

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Identity of the deceased, aged about 63, could not be known immediately.

Locals said there were 13 incidents of robbery in Sitakunda in the last one month. So, they have been spending sleepless nights patrolling different villages of the upazila.

Also read: Mob beats man to death in Khulna

Sumon Banik, officer-in-charge (OC) of Sitakunda Police Station, said a group of 12-13 robbers entered Barabkunda union’s Mandaritola village early in the morning. A few groups of young villagers were guarding important places at that time.

Sensing the presence of the robbers, the villagers chased them down.

While other robbers were successful to flee the spot, one could not. Locals beat the robber up, leaving him critically injured.

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On information, police rushed to the spot and took the injured “robber” to a hospital where he was declared dead, said OC Sumon.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on Monday filed an appeal petition against a Dhaka court order that had acquitted BNP mayoral candidate of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Engineer Ishraque Hossain.

The appeal petition was put on the cause list of the HC bench of Justice Md. Salim on Monday, said Khurshid Alam Khan, ACC lawyer.

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ACC Assistant Director Shamsul Alam filed two cases with Ramna Police Station on August 29 and 30, 2010 against Ishraque, also son of late former mayor of undivided Dhaka City Corporation and BNP leader Sadeque Hossain Khoka, and his sister Sarika Sadeque.

According to the case statements, during a primary inquiry into the wealth of Ishraque and Sarika, the ACC found that they acquired wealth worth about Tk 5 crore beyond known sources of income.

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On September 1, 2008, it asked them to submit their wealth statements within seven days which they failed to do.

As per the ACC findings, Ishraque has illegal wealth worth about Tk 3 crore while Sarika possesses wealth worth about Tk 2 crore.

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ACC Deputy Director Jahangir Hossain, also investigation officer of the case, submitted the charge-sheet against Ishraque on December 6, 2018.

On May 5 last year, a court issued a warrant for Ishraque’s arrest after accepting charges against him in his absence.

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Ishraque surrendered before the court on December 9, 2019 and secured bail in the case.

On January 14, 2020, a Dhaka court framed charges against Ishraque.

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On December 23, 2020, Judge Sheikh Nazmul Alam of Dhaka-4 Special Judge Court acquitted Ishraque in the case.

A Sylhet tribunal on Sunday framed charges against all the eight accused in a case filed over the gang-rape of a newly-wed woman at Sylhet’s MC College hostel in September last year.

Also, the tribunal fixed January 24 for recording the testimony of witnesses.

Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal Judge Md Mohitul Haque framed the charges, Public Prosecutor Rashida Syeda Khanam said.

The accused are Saifur Rahman, Shah Mahbubur Rahman Rony, Tarekul Islam, Arjun Laskar, Ainuddin alias Ainul, and Misbaul Islam Rajon, Rabiul Hasan, and Mahfuzur Rahman Masum.

Also Read: Gang rape at MC College: Charges pressed against eight

All of them are local activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League. And they are behind bars now.

On January 12, a Sylhet tribunal fixed January 17 for hearing on charge framing in the case filed over the gang-rape of the woman.

The tribunal accepted a charge sheet against eight accused in the case and the plaintiff did not file any objection petition against it.  

On December 3, police pressed charges against eight accused in the gang-rape case.

Indranil Bhattacharya, the investigation officer of the case, submitted the charge sheet before the court of Sylhet Metropolitan Magistrate Abul Kashem.

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According to police, they found the direct involvement of six people in the rape while two assisted in the crime.

The accused who were directly involved in the crime were Saifur Rahman, Shah Mohammad Mahbubur Rahman Rony, Tariqul Islam Tarek, Arjun Laskar, Mohammad Ainuddin alias Ainul and Misbaul Islam Rajon.

Rabiul Islam Hasan and Mahfuzur Rahman Masum were accused of assisting them.

On November 30, police received the DNA report of the MC College gang-rape and found the involvement of some accused arrested over the crime.

Gang-rape at MC College

According to the case statement, a group of youths tied up a man and raped his 25-year-old wife at a dormitory of MC College on September 25.

The accused started harassing the 25-year-old as his husband went to a shop in front of MC College, stopping his car.

Also Read: MC College gang rape: DNA report shows involvement of some accused

Next, they forcefully took the couple to one of the hostel buildings of the college, where they raped the woman.

After police rescued the couple, the victim’s husband filed a case with Shahporan Police Station against nine people mentioning the names of six and three to four unnamed men.

On September 30, the High Court formed an investigation committee to look into the incident.

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All of the accused gave their confessional statement under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure after they were taken to remand.

Highest punishment for rape

The rape incident at MC College and another in Noakhali fuelled countrywide protests against sexual violence against women and prompted the government to amend the relevant law with a provision of capital punishment for rape.

Also Read: Much-talked-about changes to rape law passed in parliament

The much-talked-about Women and Children Repression Prevention (Amendment) Bill 2020 was then passed in Parliament on November 17 for ensuring the death penalty as the highest punishment for rape.

A Dhaka Court on Sunday sentenced three people to death for killing a woman and her son in the city's Kakrail area in 2017.

The convicts are—Abdul Karim, husband of the victim Shamsunnahar, Sharmin Mukta, second wife of Karim and his brother Al Amin alias Jony.

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Judge Rabiul Islam of Dhaka Additional Metropolitan Court-3 handed down the verdict.

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The court also fined them Tk 20,000 each.

On January 10, the court fixed today for delivering the judgment in the case after concluding arguments.

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According to the prosecution, Samsunnahar, 45, wife of Karim and her son Shaon were hacked to death by miscreants at their Kakrail residence on November 1, 2017.

Shamsunnahar’s brother Ashraf Ali filed a case at Ramna Police Station the next day.

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On July 16, 2018, police submitted charge sheet against three people.

On January 31, 2019, a Dhaka court indicted three people in the case.

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Police have arrested a representative of a pharmaceutical company for allegedly raping a schoolgirl in Brahmanbaria on the pretext of false promise of marriage.  

The arrestee was identified as Limon Hosen Khan, son of Ashraf Ali Khan of Chandradighalia village under Sadar Upazila of Gopalganj. He was posted as Medical Information Officer at Brahmanbaria Sadar in the Infusion Department of Orion Pharmaceuticals. 

Limon was arrested from his rented house near Tank Para after the victim filed a case against him at Sadar Model Police Station on Friday night, said Inspector Abul Hasan Khan, in-charge of No. 1 police outpost. 

Also Read: O-level student 'raped, killed' in Dhaka

According to the statement, the victim was introduced to the perpetrator when her elder sister went to Brahmanbaria General Hospital for treatment. They kept in touch with each other over the phone and at one stage, Limon asked her to marry him. 

Last Sunday, he told the victim to come to Brahmanbaria where they would get married. But instead of going to the marriage registrar, he took her to his place and raped her.

Also Read: Schoolgirl 'gang raped' in Bhola, suspect detained

The victim later filed a case accusing Limon of rape and threatening to kill her. She has been sent to Brahmanbaria General Hospital for medical examination. 

Also Read: Madrasa girl raped inside school in Gazipur, case filed

Brahmanbaria Sadar Model Police Station’s Officer-in-Charge Abdur Rahim confirmed the incident and said a representative of a pharmaceutical company has been arrested in the rape case. 

The court has sent Limon to jail.

Death penalty for rape

Last year, during countrywide protests against gang rapes, the government amended the law and made death penalty the highest punishment for rape.

But the change has failed to deter rapists.

Also Read: Horrific rape crime continues; now Ctg girl gang-raped at hotel

Between Oct 13 – when the President promulgated an ordinance on death penalty for rape – and Dec 31 last year, 160 incidents of rape took place, according to Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK).

Last year, 1,627 women became a victim of rape. Fifty-three of them were killed after rape and 14 of the victims took their own lives, ASK said.

Also Read: Madrasa girl 'raped' in Barishal: One held

But the actual number is believed to be higher as many victims choose not to report assaults fearing their safety.