A Jamalpur court on Sunday sentenced a mosque imam to life imprisonment for raping a 15-year-old student in Dewanganj upazila.

The convict is Musa Mia, hailing from Harichandi village in Fulchhari thana of Gaibandha district. He worked as an imam at a Jame Mosque and taught at a maktab at Mondolpara village in Dewanganj upazila of Jamalpur.

Muhammad Abdur Rahim, Judge of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-1 in Jamalpur, pronounced the judgment.

The court has also fined him 5 lakh taka and ordered that the money be paid to the victim.

Public Prosecutor Fazlul Haque, also the state counsel in the case, confirmed the verdict to Daily Waadaa, saying the victim used to attend the mosque where the accused worked as an imam and taught students.

According to the state counsel, Musa Mia would dismiss the other students every morning but keep the girl at the mosque to do cleaning work. Taking advantage of the situation, he raped her on three occassions – November 28, December 1 and December 2 – after luring her with the promise of marriage.

After the girl's family learned about the incident, her mother filed a case with Dewanganj Police Station on December 8 of that year under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act.

The state counsel said police submitted an investigation report to the court on May 5, 2021. The court delivered the verdict after recording the testimony of 10 witnesses.