Verdict in MC College gang rape case set for July 14

A court in Sylhet has set July 14 for delivering it's verdict in the widely discussed Murari Chand (MC) College dormitory gang rape case, nearly five years after the brutal assault that shocked the nation.

Judge Swapan Kumar Sarkar of the Sylhet Divisional Speedy Trial Tribunal set the date after the completion of final arguments by both the prosecution and defence on Wednesday.

Special Public Prosecutor Abul Hossain confirmed the development on Thursday (July 9).

The eight accused in the case are Saifur Rahman, Shah Mahbubur Rahman (Rony), Tarekul Islam (Tarek), Arjun Laskar, Ainuddin (Ainul), Misbaul Islam (Rajan), Robiul Hasan and Mahfuzur Rahman. All remain in custody and were associated with the student wing of the former ruling party at the time of the incident.

According to the case records, on September 25, 2020, a young woman was allegedly gang-raped inside the dormitory of Murari Chand College after her husband was confined by the attackers. The victim's husband later filed a case with Shah Paran Police Station.

The incident sparked nationwide outrage, prompting a joint operation by police and Rapid Action Battalion, which led to the arrest of all eight accused within three days.

During the investigation, the accused gave confessional statements under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, while DNA evidence reportedly established the direct involvement of six of them in the gang rape.

Although the charge sheet was submitted in December 2021, the trial remained stalled for years due to legal complications. In May 2025, the case was transferred from the Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal to the Sylhet Divisional Speedy Trial Tribunal in the public interest to expedite proceedings.

During the trial, the prosecution produced 24 witnesses, including the survivor, medical professionals and investigating police officers.