Death Sentence Awarded for Brutal Rape and Murder of Child

A special court in Chuadanga has sentenced a man to death for the horrific rape and murder of a young child. The convict, Abul Hossain, was also handed a fine of two hundred thousand taka following a trial that spanned two and a half years.

Judge Moktagir Alam of the Chuadanga Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal delivered the verdict in a crowded courtroom on Monday, 20 July. The sole convict, 29-year-old Abul Hossain, also known as Fotik, was present in the dock during the announcement. He was immediately escorted to the district jail under heavy police escort.

A Tragic Sequence of Events

The horrific crime took place on 21 December 2023 in Jibannagar upazila. According to case documents, Abul Hossain enticed the young girl into a secluded maize field under the pretext of helping her gather leafy vegetables. Once inside the field, he subjected her to a violent assault. To conceal his identity and prevent detection, he slit her throat and abandoned her body on the spot.

Alarmed by her prolonged absence, the child’s mother and local neighbours launched a frantic search across the surrounding area. They eventually discovered her blood-soaked body lying in the field. The gruesome discovery sent shockwaves through the local community, prompting immediate police involvement. Upon receiving notification, officers from Jibannagar Police Station arrived to recover the body for post-mortem examination. The victim’s father subsequently lodged a murder case against unidentified individuals.

Concrete Forensic Evidence and Confession

Police investigators worked to identify the perpetrator through meticulous field inquiries and forensic collection. On 31 October 2024, Sub-Inspector Saiful Islam of Jibannagar Police Station formally submitted the charge sheet to the court, naming Abul Hossain, son of Abu Taher Molla of Gayeshpur village, as the sole accused.

During the judicial proceedings, the prosecution presented a robust array of evidence. Hossain voluntarily confessed to his involvement before Senior Judicial Magistrate Md Touhidul Islam, recording a judicial confession under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. Furthermore, DNA testing conducted during the investigation yielded a positive match, definitively establishing his physical connection to the crime scene.

The tribunal examined a total of 31 witnesses during the trial, including law enforcement personnel, medical examiners, and local residents. Their testimonies, corroborated by forensic proof, established the convict’s guilt beyond reasonable doubt.

State Prosecutor Advocate M. M. Shahjahan Mukul expressed complete satisfaction with the judicial outcome, stating that the capital punishment delivers a resolute message against heinous crimes targeting children. The convict was represented during the proceedings by state defence counsel Advocate Ohiduzzaman Mukul.