A court in Jamalpur has sentenced two men to death for the rape of a woman in Deweanganj upazila, bringing a lengthy judicial process over the 2022 incident to a significant stage. The court also fined each of the convicts Tk 100,000.
The verdict was delivered on Monday, 10 August, by Judge Muhammad Abdur Rahim of the Jamalpur Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-1. Both convicted men were present in court when the judgment was announced.
The condemned men are Ashkar Ali, 40, son of the late Mobarak Ali, and Zahidul Islam, 35, son of Asmat Ali. Both are residents of the Nimaimari area of Deweanganj upazila.
According to the case records and court sources, the incident took place at around 11pm on 31 March 2022 at a dwelling in Nimaimari. The 40-year-old woman was allegedly raped by Ashkar Ali and Zahidul Islam.
At one stage of the incident, the woman’s screams alerted people living nearby. Several local residents went to the spot and detained the two accused, according to the case details.
The matter, however, did not immediately proceed through the formal legal process. Local people reportedly attempted to resolve the incident through an informal settlement, following which the two men were released. The alleged rape was subsequently brought before the authorities after the victim’s son filed a case at the police station.
Investigators later conducted an inquiry and submitted a charge sheet against the accused. The case then proceeded to trial, during which the court recorded testimony from witnesses and examined the evidence presented by the prosecution.
After considering the evidence and the testimony placed before it, the tribunal found both accused guilty and imposed the death penalty. In addition, each man was ordered to pay a fine of Tk 100,000.
The prosecution described the verdict as significant. Fazlul Haque, public prosecutor at the Jamalpur Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-1, said the court had reached its decision after examining the evidence and witness statements presented during the trial.
The case also highlights the difficulties that can arise when serious allegations of violence against women are initially subjected to informal attempts at settlement. Once a criminal case is formally pursued, investigators and courts must establish the facts through admissible evidence, witness testimony and other relevant material.
Under Bangladesh’s legal system, a death sentence does not ordinarily become enforceable immediately after it is pronounced by a trial court. The judgment remains subject to the subsequent legal process, including the applicable appellate and confirmation procedures.
With Monday’s verdict, the trial concerning the 2022 incident has reached its judgment stage. The next steps will depend on the legal remedies available to the convicted men under the country’s judicial process.
