Imam Musa Mia jailed for life in Jamalpur for raping a student who came to the mosque for Arabic lessons; fine to go to the victim
An imam named Musa Mia has been sentenced to life imprisonment for raping a student who had come to a mosque in Dewanganj, Jamalpur, to learn Arabic. The court also fined him 500,000 taka and directed that the fine money be given to the victim.
Judge Muhammad Abdur Rahim of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-1 of Jamalpur District and Sessions Judge Court announced the verdict on Sunday afternoon, October 25. The accused was present in court when the verdict was delivered.
The convicted Musa Mia is the son of Md Monirul Islam of Harichandi village in Fulchhari upazila of Gaibandha. He served as imam and teacher at a Jame mosque in the Sanandabari Mondalpara area of Dewanganj upazila in Jamalpur.
According to the case statement and court sources, on the morning of November 28, 2020, the student went to the mosque for Arabic lessons. Musa Mia dismissed the other students, kept the victim at the mosque and made her do cleaning work.
At one stage, he raped the student after luring her with the promise of marriage, the case states. After family members learned of the incident, a case was filed at Dewanganj police station on December 8, 2020.
Police submitted the investigation report to the court on May 5, 2021. In the long trial that followed, the testimony of 10 witnesses was recorded, and after the completion of testimony the court delivered its verdict on Sunday.
Fazlul Haque, public prosecutor of Jamalpur Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-1, said the court sentenced Musa Mia to life imprisonment and fined him 500,000 taka in the rape case, and that the victim will receive the fine money.
The incident took place nearly six years ago, in 2020. The verdict came after a long path through the filing of the case, the investigation report and the testimony of 10 witnesses, closing one chapter of that judicial process on Sunday.
The case has again brought to the fore the question of safety for students who go to mosques for religious education. With a crime of this nature proven against a person serving as teacher and imam, fresh discussion has begun locally about protecting children and students in educational institutions and religious learning centres.
Under the court's direction, the fine of 500,000 taka will be given to the victim. With the life sentence taking effect, the convicted Musa Mia will remain in prison, and the subsequent legal process in the case will proceed accordingly.
