A court in Bogura’s Shahjahanpur upazila has sentenced five individuals to death and fined them Tk 200,000 each in a case involving the abduction, brutal murder and concealment of the body of child Rifat Hossain. In addition, five others who were minors at the time of the offence were handed ten years’ rigorous imprisonment under the Children Act.
The verdict was delivered on Sunday afternoon by Judge Anwarul Haque of the Bogura Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-1. Of the eleven accused in the case, eight were present in court during the pronouncement. Two remain absconding, while one has reportedly died during the course of proceedings.
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Case background and allegations
According to case documents, the victim, Rifat Hossain, was the son of expatriate Enamul Haque from the Khadash Haatkhola area of Shahjahanpur upazila. Investigators found that all the accused were known to the victim’s family and were neighbours in the same locality.
Prosecution materials state that one of the principal accused, Abul Kalam Azad, repeatedly demanded money from the victim’s father after his return from abroad. On the day of the incident, he allegedly demanded one lakh taka. Following the refusal to pay, the child went missing later that afternoon.
Despite extensive searches by the family, no trace of the child was initially found, prompting a general diary at the local police station. Three days later, the body of Rifat was recovered from beneath a bridge in a neighbouring village, intensifying public concern and prompting a full-scale investigation.
Convictions and sentencing
After a prolonged judicial process, the court concluded that charges of abduction, extortion-linked murder, and concealment of evidence had been proven beyond reasonable doubt. The prosecution presented findings linking the accused to all stages of the crime.
Five adult accused were awarded the highest penalty under relevant provisions of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act along with sections of the Penal Code. The court also imposed additional imprisonment and fines as part of the composite sentence.
Details of the accused and verdicts
| Category | Name | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Death row | Abul Kalam Azad | Death sentence and fine |
| Death row | Sagar | Death sentence and fine (absconding) |
| Death row | Selim Islam | Death sentence and fine (absconding) |
| Death row | Mehedi Hasan | Death sentence and fine |
| Death row | Raju Islam (Pachphul) | Death sentence and fine |
| Juvenile offender | Sazib Hasan | 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment |
| Juvenile offender | Mofizul Islam | 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment |
| Juvenile offender | Jahid Hasan | 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment |
| Juvenile offender | Borhan Ali | 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment |
| Juvenile offender | Bayezid Hossain | 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment |
Aftermath and legal direction
Following the verdict, the victim’s family expressed satisfaction with the judgment and urged its swift implementation. The court has issued arrest warrants for the two absconding convicts and directed that the case records be forwarded to the High Court Division for necessary confirmation procedures.
Locally, the ruling has been viewed as a significant judicial milestone, reinforcing a strong legal stance against child abduction and murder cases.
