Death Penalty for Man Who Assaulted and Murdered Child

A special court in Chuadanga has sentenced a man to death for the brutal sexual assault and murder of a young child. Following a trial spanning two and a half years, Judge Moktagir Alam of the Chuadanga Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal delivered the verdict on Monday afternoon. The court found the sole accused entirely guilty of the heinous crime, handing down the capital sentence alongside a fine of 200,000 taka. The condemned convict was subsequently escorted back to the district jail under strict police guard.

The horrific incident took place on 21 December 2023 in the Jibannagar upazila of the district. According to the case details, the perpetrator enticed the young child into a local maize field under the pretext of helping gather wild vegetables. Once isolated, the child was violently assaulted before the attacker slit the victim’s throat to conceal the crime. The body was discovered shortly afterwards by the victim’s mother and local residents, who rushed to the location after a frantic search. Upon receiving the information, law enforcement personnel recovered the body and initiated a formal enquiry. The victim’s father originally filed a criminal case against unidentified suspects at the Jibannagar Police Station.

DNA Evidence and Confession Secure Conviction

The police investigation proceeded swiftly under Sub-Inspector (SI) Saiful Islam of the Jibannagar Police Station. On 31 October 2024, after a meticulous gathering of evidence, the investigative team submitted a comprehensive charge sheet to the court. The report formally named 29-year-old Abul Hossein, also known as Fatik, the son of Abu Taher Mollah from Gayeshpur village, as the lone individual responsible for the homicide.

During the initial judicial proceedings, the prosecution established a watertight case by combining forensic science with direct testimony. The accused gave a voluntary confession detailing the mechanics of the crime before Chuadanga Senior Judicial Magistrate Md Touhidul Islam, under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. Crucially, forensic laboratory testing confirmed a positive DNA match, definitively linking the suspect to the crime scene.

The Road to Justice

Throughout the trial, the tribunal examined the testimonies of 31 witnesses, including medical experts, local residents, and the investigating officers. The overwhelming volume of corroborceptive evidence left no room for reasonable doubt, leading directly to the ultimate penal action available under the country’s legal system.

Advocate MM Shahgahan Mukul, the public prosecutor representing the state, expressed immense satisfaction with the judicial outcome, noting that the swift resolution provides a sense of closure to the grieving family. The interests of the accused were represented during the trial by the state-appointed defence counsel, Wahiduzzaman Mukul. The definitive ruling brings an end to a painful chapter for the local community, highlighting the critical role of scientific evidence and fast-tracked judicial processes in tackling violent crimes against children.