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Published : 17 May 2025, 01:38 PM
It took just 14 working days from the start of the trial to reach a verdict in the much-discussed case over the rape and murder of an 8-year-old child in Magura, according to Public Prosecutor Monirul Islam Mukul.
Speaking to reporters at the court premises after the verdict on Saturday, Mukul said the Supreme Court had directed that the trial be completed “within 90 days of the filing of the FIR [First Information Report]".
“The advisor to the law ministry said that the trial should be completed within 30 working days.
“We were able to complete the trial before the deadline. We carried out all necessary procedures to complete the trial within 14 working working days, and the court has delivered its verdict today.”
At 9:30am, Magura's Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal Judge M Zahid delivered the verdict, sentencing the key suspect, Hitu Sheikh, to death. Additionally, Hitu was slapped with a Tk 100,000 fine, according to Mukul.
Three other suspects in the case -- Hitu's sons Sojib Sheikh and Ratul Sheikh, and his wife Zaheda Begum -- were acquitted as the charges against them were not proven.
“We, on behalf of the state, will discuss on the next course of action against those acquitted after receiving a copy of the verdict.”
Confirming the sentences handed down by the court, Ehsanul Haque Shomaji, the special prosecutor in the case, said: “This verdict is proof that the court has delivered its judgment by exercising its judicial powers independently.”
“When the accused were examined under Section 342 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, they were asked if wanted to respond to any statements made or testimonies heard during the trial."
“The accused said, ‘We have no statement’. [The judge asked,] ‘Will you give any written statement?’, and they said, ‘No'. When asked if they would call any witnesses in their defence, they again said, ‘No’."
After the prosecution presented its evidence, the court proceeded in line with legal provisions, Shomaji said. Since the defence did not make use of their legal options, the court moved ahead with the verdict following the closing arguments.
On the plaintiff’s “dissatisfaction” with the acquittals, Shomaji said: “Look, first of all, we represent the state. So our responsibility is to protect the interests of the state.
“I have said that we are not satisfied with the acquittal order… We have collected a copy of the verdict and reviewed it. There is an opportunity to file an appeal with the High Court as per the rules and if advised or instructed by the authorities to do so.”
The child from Magura’s Sreepur Upazila was raped while visiting her sister's house on Mar 6.
A week later, she died at Dhaka’s Combined Military Hospital (CMH).
The verdict comes just two months and 11 days after the incident.
On Apr 13, Magura Sadar Police Station Inspector (Investigation) Md Alauddin, the case investigating officer, submitted a chargesheet against the four suspects at the district's Chief Judicial Magistrate's Court.
Later, Hitu, the father-in-law of the victim’s sister, gave a confessional statement to the court under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
He, however, drew the attention of journalists several times during the testimony in the case and said he was not involved in the incident.
THE INCIDENT
According to the chargesheet, the child went to Hitu's house in Sreepur Upazila's Nijnanduali village with her brother-in-law Sojib, alias Ismail, on Mar 1.
After spending five days there, on the night of Mar 5, the child went to bed with her sister and brother-in-law. The following morning, as others got engaged with their daily work, Hitu, the child, her sister, and Ratul remained at home, it added.
The child had her breakfast and went to sleep again. Hitu then woke up and found his daughter-in-law busy on the phone and entered the room to “fulfil his sexual desire”. But when he dragged her off the bed, she began screaming and Hitu strangled her with a scarf as she fell unconscious.
He then proceeded with the act, it said.
The chargesheet added that at one stage, Hitu brought an old blade from his room and cut her. He then left the blade under the mattress.
Charges were filed against Hitu under Section 9 of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal Act.
PP Mukul said, “The state has been able to prove that Hitu Sheikh raped the child through the statement of the main accused under Section 164, DNA test report, forensic report, medical report, and witness testimony.”
