A court in Dhaka has sentenced a 43-year-old man, Md Jamal Hossain, to death and fined him Tk5 lakh for raping and impregnating his 13-year-old stepdaughter in Kamrangirchar.
Judge Masrur Salekin (District and Sessions Judge) of the Dhaka Child Violence Suppression Tribunal pronounced the judgment on Tuesday in the presence of the accused. Following the verdict, a conviction warrant was issued against Jamal Hossain, and he was ordered to be sent to prison.
Court Bench Assistant Pankaj Peter Gomez confirmed the matter.
The court directed that the fine of Tk5 lakh be paid to the victim child or her legal guardian. It further ordered that if the fine is not paid within the specified period, the defendant’s movable and immovable properties will be auctioned to recover the money.
In its observations, the tribunal stated that the convict, Jamal Hossain, forcibly raped the 13-year-old child, and it is the court’s responsibility to ensure appropriate punishment for such an offence. Referencing a Supreme Court Appellate Division judgment, the tribunal observed that this crime was committed not only against the victim, but also against the society of which she is a member.
The court further noted that responding to the outcry of society by meting out proper punishment for a heinous crime is a judicial obligation, observing that Jamal Hossain had committed a heinous offence by inhumanely raping the child.
According to the case details, the victim was a Class VII student at Nabinagar Dhaka Model School and College in Kamrangirchar. The convict lived in the same residence as he was the second husband of the victim’s mother.
On 28 August 2023, taking advantage of the absence of family members at their house in the Nabinagar area of Kamrangirchar, Jamal Hossain forcibly raped the child. Subsequently, he raped her multiple times under threat to her life.
As a result of the sexual assault, the girl became pregnant and later gave birth to a child. Her mother filed a case as plaintiff at Kamrangirchar Police Station under the Nari O Shishu Nirjatan Daman Act on 28 August 2023.
Following the investigation, police submitted a charge sheet against Jamal Hossain in court on 23 January 2025. On 24 August 2025, the tribunal framed charges against the accused to initiate the trial.
At the end of the trial proceedings, the court found Jamal Hossain guilty on Tuesday, sentencing him to death alongside a fine of Tk5 lakh.
