Death penalty for rape, murder of child in Chuadanga
Photo: Agamir Somoy
A court sentenced the sole accused to death for the rape and murder of Mariam Khatun, a third-grade schoolgirl in Jibannagar, Chuadanga.
Public Prosecutor (PP) MM Shahjahan Mukul confirmed the matter on Monday.
Judge Moktagir Alam of the Child Violence Prevention Tribunal delivered the verdict. The accused, Abul Hossain alias Fotik, 29, was also fined Tk 2 lakh.
According to case records, on 21 December 2023, Mariam, 10, went to a field with her sister and neighboring children to pick greens. Around 12 pm, the other children returned home and reported that a man had left a van on the road and approached them. He led Mariam toward a nearby cornfield, pretending to give her greens.
Then the children saw the man emerge from the field. When they asked about Mariam, he told them she would follow shortly. Upon hearing these details, Mariam’s family went to the field and discovered the child’s body with her throat slit.
Mariam’s father, Iqbal Hossain, filed a case at Jibannagar Police Station against unidentified individuals. Following the investigation, Police arrested Fotik. He was named as the sole accused in the charge sheet submitted to the court on 31 October 2024.
Fotik later provided a confessional statement under Section 164. His DNA test report also confirmed evidence of rape. The judge delivered the verdict after hearing testimony from 31 witnesses.
