One sentenced to death in attempted rape and child murder case, 2 brothers acquitted

The Child Violence Prevention Court in Sylhet today (6 August) sentenced the prime accused, Jakir Hossain, to death in the high-profile attempted rape and murder case of four-year-old Fahima Akter.

Judge Abu Obayda also fined Jakir Tk5 lakh. The court, however, acquitted the two other accused in the case, Jakir's brothers, Jainal Ahmad and Abul Kalam.

The verdict was delivered nearly three months after the incident.

Confirming the ruling, State Counsel Badrur Rahman Babar said delivering the verdict within such a short period was a historic milestone that would strengthen public confidence in the country's legal and judicial system.

He said he would comment further after obtaining a full copy of the judgment.

Fahima's family, however, expressed anger over the acquittal of the two co-accused.

Fahima's father, Raisul Huq, said those accused of helping conceal his daughter's body had been acquitted. He demanded that they also be brought to justice and that Jakir's death sentence be carried out without delay. He also said the family would appeal to the High Court against the acquittal of the two brothers.

According to the prosecution, on 7 May, Jakir Hossain, a neighbour and paternal uncle of the child, lured Fahima into his house on the pretext of buying her cigarettes and attempted to rape her. When she lost consciousness, he allegedly strangled her to death out of fear of being caught. He then hid her body in a suitcase inside his house for two days before dumping it in a ditch in the Badhaghat area in an attempt to conceal the crime.

Fahima had gone missing from her home on 6 May. Two days later, on 8 May, police recovered her body from a ditch near her home in Sonatala village under Kandigaon union in Sylhet Sadar upazila.

Following a murder case filed with Jalalabad Police Station on 8 May, police arrested Jakir. After he confessed to the crime before investigators and later under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, police submitted a charge sheet against him and his two brothers 33 days after the incident.

The charge sheet accused Jakir of attempted rape and murder, while his brothers, Jainal Ahmad and Abul Kalam, were charged with assisting in concealing the body.

The victim, Fahima Akter, was the four-year-old daughter of day labourer Raisul Huq of Sonatala village in Kandigaon union. The condemned convict, Jakir Hossain, 30, is the son of the late Tota Miah of the West Para Dhan Roy's Chok area of the same village.

The trial began on 1 July and concluded with today's verdict after a month-long expedited judicial process.