A man has been sentenced to life imprisonment for raping an eight-year-old schoolgirl in Rangamati, in the first verdict delivered by the district’s Children Violence Prevention Tribunal.
The convict, identified as Ayub Ali Saudagar, was also fined Tk 30,000. If he fails to pay the fine, he will serve an additional six months in prison, according to the court order.
Public Prosecutor Advocate Maksuda Haque confirmed the verdict on Tuesday (25 August). The sentence was handed down a day earlier, on Monday (24 August), by Tribunal Judge Nishat Sultana.
According to the prosecution, the victim was a second-grade student when the incident took place on 14 January 2015 in Kashkhali Bangotila area of Kaukhali upazila in Rangamati. The child belonged to a local Marma family.
Prosecutors said Ayub Ali found the girl alone while she was walking near her home and took her to a nearby paddy field. There, he raped her before she returned home.
The child reportedly came back with torn clothes and bleeding injuries and told her family members what had happened. Her parents subsequently filed a case with Kaukhali Police Station.
The case then went through a lengthy investigation and judicial process. After examining the evidence and hearing the case, the tribunal found the allegations against Ayub Ali proven and handed down a life sentence.
The verdict is significant for Rangamati as it marks the first judgement issued by the Children Violence Prevention Tribunal in the district. The establishment of specialised tribunals is intended to provide a dedicated judicial mechanism for cases involving violence against children and to ensure such cases are dealt with through the legal process.
Child sexual abuse cases can often involve particularly vulnerable victims, making timely investigation, legal proceedings and appropriate protection for children essential. In this case, the prosecution relied on the evidence presented before the court during the long-running judicial proceedings.
The sentence includes both imprisonment and a financial penalty. Under the order, the convict will have to pay the Tk 30,000 fine or face a further six months in prison in default.
The case dates back more than a decade, with the alleged offence occurring in January 2015. The latest verdict therefore brings a significant stage of the legal proceedings to a close for the victim’s family, while also marking the first judicial decision of the specialised tribunal in Rangamati.
