Dhaka Court Sentences Couple to Death for Rape and Murder of Eight-Year-Old Girl
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A Dhaka tribunal on Sunday sentenced a couple to death for the rape and murder of an eight-year-old child in the capital’s Pallabi area. Judge Masrur Salekeen of the Dhaka Metropolitan Child Repression Prevention Tribunal delivered the verdict, emphasizing that the brutal killing of an innocent child not only devastates a family but also strikes at the foundation of a civilized society’s justice system.
The court sentenced both the primary accused, Sohel Rana, and his wife, Swapna Akter, to capital punishment. In addition to the death penalty, the court imposed a fine of 500,000 taka on Sohel Rana and 200,000 taka on Swapna Akter, ordering that the funds be paid to the victim’s family as compensation. The tribunal directed that if the convicts fail to pay, their movable and immovable assets are to be liquidated to satisfy the penalty.
The ruling concluded a swift judicial process that began following the discovery of the child’s dismembered body in a Pallabi apartment on May 19. The court noted that the investigation and trial were completed with commendable efficiency, serving as a model for the tribunal, which currently manages over 1,800 cases involving violence against children. Judge Salekeen remarked that the judicial system’s duty is to operate not through emotion, but through the rigorous application of law, evidence, and the pursuit of justice.
Evidence presented during the trial, including the defendants’ confessions, witness testimony, and forensic reports, established that Sohel Rana raped and murdered the victim before attempting to flee through a bathroom window. The court found that Swapna Akter, who was present in the apartment during the commission of the crimes, actively aided in the acts and the subsequent attempt to hide the body, making her equally culpable under the law.
Following the initial arrest of the couple in May, the case moved rapidly through the legal system. Formal charges were framed on June 1, and the tribunal proceeded through witness testimonies and final arguments before delivering the verdict. The judge highlighted that every page of the case file was marked by profound tragedy and reflected the collective urgency of a society demanding accountability for crimes against its most vulnerable citizens.
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