Mymensingh court sentences three to death for rape and murder of five-year-old child
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A Mymensingh court has sentenced three men to death and a teenager to ten years in prison for the brutal gang rape and murder of a five-year-old girl in the Dhobaura sub-district. The verdict, delivered in two separate courts on Thursday, concludes a high-profile legal process that reached a resolution just 25 days after the incident.
Judge Sudipta Sarkar of the Child Violence Prevention Tribunal sentenced Arif Miah, 19, Rakib Miah, 21, and Md. Saim Miah, 19, to death. In addition to the capital punishment, the court imposed a fine of 200,000 taka on each of the three men. Meanwhile, the fourth defendant, a tenth-grade student, was sentenced to a combined ten years of imprisonment by Judge M.L.B. Mesbah Uddin Ahmed of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal.
বিজ্ঞাপন
The case originated on June 14, when the victim went missing near her home. Her body was discovered later that evening, buried near a bend in the Kangsa River. The child’s father filed a case with the Dhobaura Police Station the following day, leading to the swift arrest of the four suspects, all of whom initially provided statements confessing to the crimes. Following the collection of post-mortem and DNA evidence, police submitted a formal charge sheet to the court on June 23.
Public Prosecutor Bazlul Karim Chowdhury, representing the state, expressed satisfaction with the verdict, highlighting the efficiency of the judicial process. Throughout the trial, the prosecution presented testimony from 19 witnesses to substantiate the charges.
বিজ্ঞাপন
Defense attorney Mokbul Hossain Sarkar maintained the innocence of his clients, stating that the accused had retracted their initial confessions, claiming they were extracted under duress during police interrogation. He argued that the prosecution failed to provide sufficient circumstantial evidence beyond the recorded statements and announced plans to appeal the verdict in the higher court.
The victim’s parents, who attended the proceedings, expressed relief at the swift delivery of justice and urged the state to expedite the execution of the sentences. Mymensingh Superintendent of Police Mohammad Kamrul Hassan commended the investigative efforts, noting that the priority was to ensure a rapid and transparent legal resolution to the harrowing case.
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