All five accused, including Safat Ahmed, son of Dildar Ahmed, co-owner of Apan Jewellers, were acquitted from charges of raping two private university students at the Raintree Hotel at Banani in the city.

Begum Mosammat Kamrunnahar, judge of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-7 of Dhaka, delivered the verdict on Thursday afternoon.

Defendants in the case are Shafat Ahmed, son of Apan Jewellers co-owner Dilder Ahmed, Shafat's friend Shadman Sakif, director of Regnum Group, Nayem Ashraf, an employee of E-Makers Event Management, Shafat's driver Billal Hossain and bodyguard Rahmat Ali.

Earlier Judge Begum Mosammat Kamrunnahar set today (November 11) to deliver the judgement.

Two private university students were repeatedly raped at gunpoint at a birthday party from 9:00pm on March 28, 2017 to 10:00am on the following day at the Raintree Hotel in the city's Banani.

On May 6, 2017, a rape case was filed against five persons including Safat with Banani Police Station.

After investigation, Ismat Ara Amy, investigation officer (IO) of the case and inspector of the Women Support and Investigation Division of police, submitted chargesheet against the accused to the tribunal on June 7, 2017.

On June 19 of the same year, the same tribunal accepted the chargesheet against the accused. On July 13 of the same year, judge Shafiul Azam of Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-2, Dhaka ordered trial against the accused by charge framing.