The verdict in the murder case of five-year-old Alina Islam Ayat in Chattogram is set to be delivered on Wednesday, with the prosecution seeking the death penalty for the main accused.
The victim’s father, Sohel Rana, has also demanded the maximum punishment for those responsible.
Judge Muhammad Ali Akkas of the Sixth Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court in Chattogram fixed the date for the judgment after concluding hearings in the case.
The court had completed arguments and set the verdict date on 23 May.
Public Prosecutor Jalal Uddin said a total of 33 witnesses testified during the trial.
Following the completion of witness examinations and legal arguments, the court scheduled the verdict for 17 June. He said the state is seeking the highest punishment for the accused.
According to police and court sources, the incident occurred on 15 November, 2022, when Ayat went missing from the Bandartila area under EPZ Police Station in Chattogram.
Her family later filed a general diary (GD) with the police. On their request, the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) launched a shadow investigation into the case.
Investigators found that Md Abir, a tenant in the victim’s residence, was involved in the abduction and killing.
He was arrested on 25 November, 2022, and reportedly confessed to the crime in a statement before the court.
According to PBI findings, said the child was abducted for ransom, but she was later strangled to death after the plan failed.
In a further act of brutality, the body was dismembered and the parts were disposed of in various locations near the seashore and a local canal
The incident had sparked widespread outrage across the country at the time.
The chargesheet was submitted on 10 October, 2023, by then PBI Inspector Monoj De.
Besides Abir, a 17-year-old accomplice was also named in the case.
As the co-accused was a minor, his identity has not been disclosed and his trial is being conducted separately in a juvenile court. The main accused Abir remains in custody.
Ayat’s father, Sohel Rana, said his daughter was brutally killed and justice had been delayed.
“I have lost my only child. A case that should have been resolved within a year has taken nearly four years. I demand the death penalty for the killer,” he said.
All eyes are now on the court’s verdict in the high-profile case, with the victim’s family and residents of Chattogram awaiting the outcome.
