A Chattogram court on Thursday sentenced a man to death for the brutal murder of eight-year-old Jannatul Nesa Ira Moni in Sitakunda, concluding the trial in just four months.
Judge Jannatul Ferdous of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-4 delivered the verdict at 3am in a packed courtroom.
The convict, Babu Sheikh, was found guilty of murder under Section 302 of the Penal Code.
In addition to the capital punishment, the court sentenced him to life imprisonment under Section 7 of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act for abduction and another 10 years of rigorous imprisonment under Section 9 for attempted sexual assault.
According to the case documents, Ira Moni, a second-grade student and daughter of easy-bike driver Monirul Islam, was lured away from her home in Chhoto Kumira Masterpara on 1 March.
Babu Sheikh, a neighbour of the family, reportedly enticed her with the promise of buying chocolates and taking her for a stroll.
The convict took the child to a hilly area near the Sitakunda Botanical Garden where he attempted to sexually assault her.
Fearing that his actions would be exposed, he attacked the child with a sharp weapon, slitting her throat before fleeing the scene.
Ira Moni was later rescued in critical condition by road repair workers and was initially taken to the Sitakunda Upazila Health Complex.
She was subsequently shifted to Chattogram Medical College Hospital (CMCH), where she succumbed to her injuries on 3 March.
Police investigations later revealed that Babu Sheikh had planned the murder as a result of a personal feud with the victim’s father.
Police arrested Babu from the Kumira area on the same day and later submitted a charge sheet on 11 June.
The legal process moved with notable speed.
Charges were framed on 18 June, and the court recorded the testimonies of 16 witnesses over just six working days.
After the defense’s closing arguments on 2 July, the court set Thursday for the delivery of the judgment
