A court in Chattogram has sentenced the sole accused, Monir Hossain, to life imprisonment in a high-profile case involving the rape of a four-year-old child in the Bakalia area.
Judge Syeda Hafsa Jhuma of the Chattogram Metropolitan Child Repression Suppression Tribunal delivered the verdict at 3pm on Wednesday, following the reading of excerpts of the judgement which began at 2pm.
The convict, 30-year-old Monir Hossain, is a resident of the Gharghata area in Cumilla’s Muradnagar upazila. He resided in Miyakhannagar, Bakalia, and worked at a local decoration shop. Hossain was present in the tribunal when the sentence was announced.
Judicial process was completed with unprecedented speed. Following the incident on 21 May, the investigating officer and Bakalia Police Station Inspector (Investigation), Tanveer Ahmed, submitted the charge sheet to the court on 4 June.
Formal trial proceedings commenced on 9 June with the framing of charges. The verdict was reached after just eight working days, during which the testimonies of 18 witnesses were recorded and legal arguments were concluded.
Public Prosecutor (PP) Mahmud-ul Alam Chowdhury Maruf stated that the state successfully proved the allegations against the accused beyond any reasonable doubt. He noted that the prosecution had sought the maximum penalty.
According to the case statement, the child was raped in a warehouse in the Nur Hossain Chairman Ghata area of Bakalia on the afternoon of 21 May. The incident sparked intense local protests, with an angry mob attempting to lynch Monir and besieging a building named “Bismillah Mansion.”
Police were forced to fire tear gas and rubber bullets to bring the situation under control as protesters shouted that “there is no justice in Bangladesh” and demanded the suspect be handed over to them for summary justice.
To ensure his safety from the mob, police eventually escorted Monir to the station disguised in a police uniform. During the unrest, the agitated crowd set fire to a police vehicle.
The victim’s father filed the case the following Friday, after which the accused provided a confessional statement in court.
Police investigators gathered medical reports and necessary evidence within just seven working days to submit the charge sheet. Officials and observers believe this verdict sets a significant precedent for the swift delivery of justice.
