A court in Satkhira has sentenced a 58-year-old man to life imprisonment for the rape of a four-year-old child in Kaliganj upazila.
Judge Md Abu Bakkar Siddique of the Satkhira Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal delivered the verdict on Thursday in the presence of the accused.
The convict, identified as Sohrab Hossain Sardar, is a resident of Tarali village under Kaliganj upazila.
In addition to the life sentence, the court imposed a fine of Tk50,000. Failure to pay the fine will result in a further three months of simple imprisonment.
According to the case details, Sohrab was a neighbour of the victim and frequently played with the child. On the afternoon of 28 February 2024, he lured the girl into his house while she was playing in the courtyard. He then raped the child after threatening to kill her by strangulation.
The incident came to light that evening when the child fell ill and narrated the ordeal to her mother. Following this, the victim’s mother filed a case against Sohrab at Kaliganj Police Station under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act on 4 March 2024.
A medical examination of the child was conducted at Satkhira Sadar Hospital the following day, and her statement was subsequently recorded in court.
Following an investigation, Sub-Inspector (SI) Zahidul Alam of Kaliganj Police Station submitted the charge sheet on 29 October 2024. Sohrab had been in custody since the case was initiated.
Sheikh Alamgir Ashraf, the Special Public Prosecutor (PP) of the court, stated that the tribunal reached its decision after the testimony of 13 witnesses proved the allegations against the accused beyond any reasonable doubt.
Responding to the verdict, defence lawyer Abdul Majid expressed dissatisfaction and announced their intention to appeal the conviction in a higher court.
