2 sentenced to life terms for rape, murder in Cumilla

A man was sentenced to two life terms in prison on Monday for raping a girl on false promise of marriage and burning her to death when she was pregnant in Cumilla, reports UNB.

Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-1 of Cumilla also sentenced another woman to life imprisonment and fined her in the same case.

The convicts are Taleb Hossain and Josna Begum.

Taleb, a resident of Sadar Dakshin upazila's Matainkot village, raped Nilufa Akter of the same area with false promise of marriage, according to case details.

Nilufa pressed Taleb to marry her after she conceived.

On the night of 23 January, 2011, Taleb used Josna Begum, a resident of the same village, to call Nilufa out of her house. Josna covered Nilufa's mouth and Taleb doused her in kerosene before setting her on fire.

The victim was first treated at Comilla Medical College Hospital and later at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. She died on 31 January.

Nilufa's father accused Taleb and Josna in a case filed over her death. Police pressed charges in court against the two on 17 April that year. Eighteen people testified in the case.