A Faridpur court today (June 4) sentenced a youth to death for rape and killing of an 11-year-old child at Boalmar.

The convict was present on the dock while pronouncement of the verdict. Then he was sent to jail under police escort.

Faridpur Woman and Child Repression Prevention Tribunal judge Md Hafizur Rahman pronounced the verdict on Tuesday.

Besides, the court also sentenced five years of rigorous imprisonment under Section 19(4) (Kha) of Woman and Child Repression Prevention Act 2000 and fined Tk 20,000, and also fined Tk 20,000 under Section 302.

The death row convict was identified as Rasel Sikder, 23, is the son of Monwar Sikder of village Ichadanga under Boalmari Police Station.

Accordin to sources in the court the child was convict Rasel's cousin sister. The child was a Class VI student of a nearby school. They were neighbours of each other.

In the evening of August 22, 2022, the child was asked to bring due Tk 150 from Rasel's house. Rasel was at home alone at that time. When the child went Rasel's home to bring money, Rasel took her to a nearby bathroom and raped her there. Then being scared of spreading the incident of rape, Rasel murdered the child tying her hands and legs, and strangulating her with her scarf.

Then being failed to find the child, her family started searching and announcing through mosque's mike. Later, they called in police calling over 999. As Rasel tried to flee, he was detained tactfully. Then police recovered the child's body from the bathroom.

Being the plaintiff, the child's father Md Moktar Hossain filed a rape case and a post-rape murder case with Boalmari Police Station. Arrested Rasel was then produced before court and he made confessional statement under Section 164. Boalmari Police Station's sub-inspector Md Azad Hossain submitted a chargesheet to the court on April 30, 2023.

Woman and Child Repression Prevention Tribunal's public prosecutor Swapan Kumar Pal said the state was satisfied over the verdict. A justice would be established in the society through the verdict.

BDST: 1937 HRS, JUNE 4, 2024
MSK