A tribunal has sentenced three men to death for the gang rape and murder of a teenage girl in Keraniganj three years ago.
The court at this time ordered each convict to pay fine of Tk 1 lakh.
Judge Munshi Md Moshier Rahman of Dhaka’s Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-4 delivered the verdict on Tuesday (March 25).
The convicts are Md Sajib from Khulamora village under Keraniganj Model Police Station, Md Rakib from Khakanda village in Bhanga, Faridpur, and Shawon alias Valka Shawon from Palong Model Police Station area in Shariatpur.
The tribunal also sentenced them to seven years in prison and fined Tk 10,000 each for concealing the victim’s body. Failure to pay the fine will result in an additional one-year imprisonment.
State prosecutor Ershad Alam George said the tribunal directed the Dhaka district magistrate to collect the fines by selling the convicts’ movable and immovable properties and deposit the money into the state treasury.
Meanwhile, two accused, Ali Akbar, 22, and Md Riaz, 22, were acquitted due to a lack of evidence.
Before the verdict, Rakib, Riaz, and Shawon were produced in court from prison. After the verdict, Rakib and Shawon were sent back to jail with sentencing orders, while Sajib, who is absconding, was given an arrest warrant along with his sentencing order.
According to the case statement, on June 11, 2022, police were patrolling the Atibazar area in Keraniganj when they received a call through the 999 emergency service at around 7:45 am. The caller reported a body floating in a pond near Paschim Bamansur Jame Mosque. Police recovered the body and later filed a case at Keraniganj Model Police Station.
During the investigation, the victim was identified as Maria, a teenager. A friend of the victim confirmed her identity in a court statement. Police later arrested Shawon, who confessed in court that he, along with Rakib, Sajib, and Ali Akbar, had gang-raped Maria, strangled her to death, and dumped her body in the pond. Rakib and Sajib were also arrested and made similar confessions in court.
Sub-Inspector Alok Kumar De of Keraniganj Model Police Station submitted a charge sheet on September 30, 2023, accusing five individuals. The court framed charges and started the trial, during which 19 witnesses testified.
BDST: 1401 HRS, March 25, 2025
MSK
