A court in Natore has sentenced a 21-year-old man to life imprisonment for raping a seven-year-old primary school student. He was also fined Tk 50,000, with the court ordering that the money be paid to the victim’s family.
The verdict was delivered on Sunday, 6 September, by Sharmin Akhter, judge of the Natore Child Violence Tribunal and District and Sessions Judge. The ruling came after the court considered witness testimony and other evidence presented during the proceedings.
The convicted man, Abu Bakar Siddiq, is the son of Md Abu Hanif and a resident of Bijoy Nagar village in Singra upazila of Natore.
According to the case documents and information presented before the court, the incident took place on the morning of 25 February 2025. The seven-year-old girl, a third-grade pupil at a nearby government primary school, was on her way to school at around 8am when Siddiq allegedly called her away from the road and took her to a nearby room.
The prosecution said the child was sexually assaulted there. After the incident, she returned home in tears and informed her family about what had happened. Her relatives subsequently took her to Singra Upazila Health Complex, where she was admitted for medical care.
The girl’s father later filed a case with Singra Police Station, naming Siddiq as the accused. Police arrested him during the investigation and subsequently sent him to Natore District Jail as the legal proceedings moved forward.
The case then went through a lengthy judicial process, during which the court examined witness statements and other evidence connected with the allegation. After completing the hearing and assessing the evidence, the tribunal found Siddiq guilty and handed down the life sentence on Sunday afternoon.
Alongside the prison term, the court imposed the Tk 50,000 fine and directed that the amount be handed over to the child’s family.
Cases involving sexual violence against children are particularly serious because of the vulnerability of the victims and the lasting consequences such crimes can have. A child subjected to such abuse may require not only medical treatment but also sustained psychological and family support while legal proceedings continue.
The Natore verdict also brings to an end the trial stage of a case that began after the child’s family reported the alleged assault in February last year. The court’s order provides for both punishment of the convicted man and financial compensation through the fine imposed on him.
