United News of Bangladesh

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.

A Dhaka court on Monday framed charges against vehicle and gold trader Monir Hossain alias Golden Monir in an arms case. Dhaka municipal sessions court judge KM Imrul Kayes framed the charges and ordered to begin the trial in this case. From September 8, the court will start recording testimonial statements of the witnesses. On March 8, the judge accepted the charge sheet of the case that was submitted to Dhaka Chief Metroplitan Magistrate court on January 26 by Inspector detective police Abdul Malek. On November 22 last year, a court placed accued Monir on a 18-day remand in three cases and later on December 3, again placed him fresh remand of 9-days. READ: Court orders seizure of Golden Monir’s bank accounts On November 20, 2020, RAB surrounded Monir's house in capital’s Badda. During the eight-hour operation till noon, almost 7 Kg gold jewelry, foreign pistols, liquor, huge amounts of foriegn currency from 10 countries and Tk 1.9 crore cash were seized from the house. Last year on December 10, Golden Monir was sent to jail after being remanded for 27 days in three separate cases under the Arms, special powers and narcotics law. READ: ‘Golden Monir’ put on 18-day remand