Two Men Sentenced to Death for Raping Woman in Jamalpur

A court in Jamalpur has sentenced two men to death for raping a woman in Dewanganj upazila, also ordering each of them to pay a fine of Tk 100,000.

The verdict was delivered on Monday, 10 August, by Judge Muhammad Abdur Rahim of the Jamalpur Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-1. Both convicts were present in court when the judgement was announced.

The condemned men were identified as Ashkar Ali, 40, son of the late Mobarak Ali, and Jahidul Islam, 35, son of Asmat Ali. Both are residents of the Nimaimari area of Dewanganj upazila.

According to the case and court records, the incident took place at around 11pm on 31 March 2022. The two men allegedly entered a dwelling in the Nimaimari area and raped a 40-year-old woman.

The victim’s cries alerted people living nearby. Local residents reportedly went to the spot and detained the two men. However, they were subsequently released after assurances that the matter would be settled through an informal compromise.

The incident later proceeded through the formal legal process when the victim’s son filed a case. The prosecution then presented witnesses and other evidence during the trial. After examining the evidence and hearing the arguments from both sides, the tribunal found the two accused guilty and imposed the death penalty.

In addition to the capital punishment, the court ordered each convict to pay Tk 100,000 in fines. The ruling followed a lengthy judicial process that began after the case was filed following the alleged assault in 2022.

The case highlights the importance of pursuing allegations of sexual violence through lawful channels rather than relying on informal settlements. In Bangladesh, offences involving violence against women and children are dealt with under specialised legal provisions and are tried before Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunals.

Jamalpur Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-1’s Public Prosecutor, lawyer Fazlul Haque, confirmed the verdict. He said the court had reached its decision after considering the evidence and testimony presented during the trial and sentenced both accused to death, along with a fine of Tk 100,000 for each.

The two convicts were in court for the pronouncement of the judgement. The death sentences will remain subject to the applicable legal procedures governing such convictions.