Bakalia child rape: Accused Monir sentenced to life imprisonment
In default of paying the fine, he will have to serve one more year in prison.
A Chattogram court today (17 June) sentenced the lone accused in the widely discussed case filed over the rape of a three-and-a-half-year-old child in Bakalia's Chairman Ghata area to life imprisonment.
Judge Syeda Hafsha Jhuma of the Chattogram Metropolitan Child Violence Suppression Tribunal also fined convict Monir Hossain, who was present in court, Tk50,000.
In default of paying the fine, he will have to serve one more year in prison.
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Confirming the verdict, Public Prosecutor Mahmud-ul Alam Chowdhury Maruf told The Business Standard the court was concerned about children's safety while dealing with the case.
Maruf said the court observed that child rape is a heinous crime against humanity that severely hampers a child's physical and mental development and may leave long-term psychological scars. It also said that ensuring children's safety is a collective responsibility of the state, society and family.
Regarding the sentence, the court observed that the maximum punishment in a child rape case may be the death penalty or life imprisonment with rigorous labour.
However, as the accused had no previous criminal case or record of conviction, and this was considered his first offence, the court awarded life imprisonment with rigorous labour instead of capital punishment.
After the verdict, the child's grandmother, who was the key prosecution witness, expressed anger and said, "I want him hanged. I am not happy with this verdict."
On the other hand, state-appointed defence lawyer GM Zahed Hossain said, "We are satisfied with the verdict in this case. The court has given the minimum sentence. We have received fair justice."
Yesterday (16 June), arguments in the case ended, and the court fixed today for the verdict.
The charge sheet in the case was submitted to the court on 4 June. Charges were framed against the accused on 9 June, marking the start of the trial.
Witness testimony began the following day, and testimonies from 18 witnesses were recorded over three working days.
During the hearing for self-defence on Monday, Monir pleaded not guilty, but no defence witness was produced on his behalf.
Case records show that the incident occurred on 21 May in the Chairman Ghat area of Bakalia, involving the sexual assault of the three-and-a-half-year-old girl. The victim's father later filed a case at Bakalia Police Station.
The incident sparked unrest in the area on the day it occurred, leading to clashes between police and locals in which at least 30 people, including journalists, were injured. A police vehicle was also set on fire during the unrest.
