A Chattogram court has sentenced two men to life imprisonment for the gang rape of a teenage girl with disabilities.

The verdict was delivered on Monday (April 7) by Judge Saidur Rahman Gazi of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-5 in Chattogram.

The convicts are Faruk Sardar, 38, of Bagerhat’s Morrelganj upazila and Shamsul Haque, 50, of Bhola’s Lalmohan upazila.

State prosecutor Advocate Haidar Mohammad Solaiman told Banglanews that the charges were proven based on the testimony of 13 witnesses. Each convict was also fined Tk 1 lakh and sentenced to one more year in prison in case of non-payment.

Faruk was present in court during the verdict and was sent to jail afterward. Shamsul Haque is absconding, and an arrest warrant has been issued against him.

According to case statement, on August 28, 2021, the 16-year-old girl was alone at home in Chattogram’s Chandgaon area when Faruk lured her into his rented house and raped her. Later, Shamsul also raped her there. The girl became pregnant, and after questioning, she told her mother about the assault.

Her mother filed a case at Chandgaon Police Station. Police submitted the charge sheet on March 22, 2022, and the court later framed charges and began the trial.