A local court has sentenced a man to death for the murder of nine-year-old Abida Sultana Ayni in Chattogram city’s Pahartali area.
Judge Mohammad Saifur Rahman of Chattogram Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-2 delivered the verdict in presence of Md Rubel, a vegetable vendor.
The sentence was awarded under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder. Additionally, the convict was sentenced to life imprisonment under Section 7 of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act.
For the charge of attempted rape, the court handed down 10 years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Tk5,000, in default of which he must serve further jail time.
Ayni, a fourth-grade student, went missing from Pahartali on 21 March 2023. Later her mother filed a general diary (GD) with Pahartali Police Station.
During the police investigation, Rubel was arrested. Based on information provided by the accused, the child’s body was recovered nine days after she was missing.
The investigation revealed that Rubel attempted to rape the child. When he failed, he strangled her to death. He placed the body in a sack and used a vegetable van to transport and dump it in a ditch.
The tribunal reached its decision after recording the testimonies of 24 witnesses. The court found that the allegations of abduction, attempted rape, and murder were proven against the accused.
