Two witnesses, including the plaintiff, testified on Monday before the Sylhet Speedy Trial Tribunal in the high-profile 2020 gang-rape case at Sylhet’s MC College.
Judge Swapan Kumar Sarkar recorded the depositions during the latest hearing of the case, reports UNB.
According to Prosecutor Abul Hossain, the witnesses were the plaintiff and Jiban Krishna Acharya, who was a Political Science teacher at the college at the time of the incident.
The court has fixed May 26 for the next hearing and to continue recording testimonies. Due to the sensitive nature of the case, the testimony of the victim will be taken in a closed-door camera trial, the prosecutor added.
The incident, which shocked the nation, took place on the night of 25 September 2020. Six of the now-banned Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) activists forced a married couple visiting the college campus to the hostel and gang-raped the 19-year-old wife while keeping the husband tied with a rope.
Police later rescued the couple, and the victim’s husband filed a case with Shahporan Police Station naming six of the nine accused.
Law enforcement later arrested eight individuals in connection with the crime.
On December 3, 2021, police submitted a chargesheet identifying eight suspects. Of them, six were found directly involved in the rape, while two others were accused of aiding and abetting the crime.
The six directly implicated are Saifur Rahman, Shah Mohammad Mahbubur Rahman Rony, Tariqul Islam Tarek, Arjun Laskar, Mohammad Ainuddin alias Ainul, and Misbaul Islam Rajon.
The remaining two — Rabiul Islam Hasan and Mahfuzur Rahman Masum — were accused of abetment.
The case drew widespread condemnation and prompted the High Court to form an investigation committee just days after the incident. Legal proceedings continue.