Dhaka, July 1 -- A court has sentenced a man to life imprisonment for raping a schoolgirl in Kushtia Sadar Upazila.

State counsel Abdul Majid said that Judge AHM Shafiqul Islam of the Kushtia District and Sessions Judge Court (Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal) delivered the verdict on Wednesday afternoon in the absence of the accused.

The convict, Zahir Raihan, 32, is a native of Sadar Upazila.

Citing the case documents, the lawyer said that Zahir would verbally harass the victim on her way to and from the school. Her family then informed Zahir's family and other dignitaries about the matter. This enraged Zahir.

On Mar 3, 2018, the student's parents went to attend a Waz, or gathering for Islamic discussions. Zahir too...