A Magura court on Saturday morning sentenced Hitu Sheikh, the prime accused, to death for the brutal rape and murder of eight-year-old nearly one-and-a-half months ago.
Judge M Zahid Hasan of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal in Magura pronounced the verdict.
Hitu was charged with rape and murder, according to the prosecution.
Hitu Sheikh’s wife, Jaheda Begum, 38, and his sons, Ratul Sheikh, 18, and Sajib Sheikh, 20, were acquitted from the charges as allegations brought against them could not be proven, said Public Prosecutor Monirul Islam Mukul.
Sajib and Ratul were charged with criminal intimidation, and Jaheda was charged with tampering with evidence.
Hitu, 44, is the father-in-law of the victim’s sister, while Sajib is the victim’s brother-in-law.
The District Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal expedited the trial, concluding the trial in just 12 working days. By some reports, this is considered to be the second fastest verdict in the history of Bangladesh’s judicial system.
The victim, Asiya, was visiting her sister’s in-laws in Nijananduali village of Magura on March 6 when the incident took place. She went to bed with her sister that night, but around midnight, her sister found her missing and began searching for her.
After a frantic search, the girl was found unconscious a few yards from the house.
She was initially admitted to Magura General Hospital, before being transferred to Faridpur Medical College Hospital once her conditions worsened. She was moved again, twice, first to Dhaka Medical College Hospital and later to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH), also in Dhaka.
The child succumbed to her injuries after suffering three cardiac arrests on March 13 at Dhaka ‘s Combined Military Hospital (CMH).
Her rape and death sparked nation-wide protests as the people demanded justice.
After the verdict was announced, the mother of the victim, Ayesha Akter, expressed deep dissatisfaction due to the acquittal of the other three accused in the case, namely Hitu’s sons, Ratul and Sajib, and his wife Jaheda.
“These three might do the same thing again,” she said.
The brutal rape and murder of the young girl sparked widespread protests nationwide, demands for justice, and renewed scrutiny of gender-based violence in Bangladesh.