Man sentenced to death for rape and murder of child in Chuadanga
The court also fined him Tk2 lakh.
A tribunal in Chuadanga today (20 July) sentenced a man to death and fined him Tk2 lakh for the rape and murder of a minor girl, Morium, in 2023.
Judge Md Moktagir Alam of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal pronounced the verdict today in the presence of the convict.
The convict, Abul Hossain Fotik, is the son of Abu Taher of Goyeshpur village in Jibannagar upazila.
According to the prosecution, on 21 December 2023, Moriom went to collect vegetables in Haribhanga field with three other children.
While they were standing beside a road, a van driver lured her into a nearby maize field on the pretext of helping her collect vegetables.
He then raped the child and slit her throat with a sharp weapon before fleeing.
When the other children asked about Moriom, he told them she was still collecting vegetables in the field.
The victim's father filed a case with Jibannagar Police Station the following day against unidentified persons.
Police identified Abul Hossain Fotik through CCTV footage obtained from a local brick kiln and arrested him in Chuadanga on 7 February 2024.
Investigating officer SI Saiful Islam of Jibannagar Police Station submitted the charge sheet against the accused on 31 October 2024.
After examining the testimonies of all 31 prosecution witnesses, the tribunal found the accused guilty and sentenced him to death.
The court also fined him Tk2 lakh.
He was later taken to the district jail.
Expressing satisfaction with the verdict, Public Prosecutor Shahjahan Mukul said, "The prosecution successfully proved the charges of rape and murder against the accused, leading to the maximum penalty of death. We believe this judgment will act as a deterrent against such heinous crimes."
