Death sentence for main accused in Sylhet child rape-attempt and murder case

A court has sentenced Zakir Hossain, the main accused in the sensational murder case of child Fahima Akter in Sylhet, to death. He has also been fined TK 500,000.

The verdict was delivered around 11:30 am on Thursday (August 6) by Judge Abu Ubaida of the Sylhet Metropolitan Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal. The condemned, Md. Zakir Hossain (30), is the son of the late Tota Mia of Sonatola village in Kandigaon union, Sylhet Sadar upazila. The victim, Fahima Akter (4), was the daughter of day laborer Raisul Haque of the same village.

Public Prosecutor (PP) of Sylhet Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court, Badrul Islam Chowdhury, confirmed the information. He said that since the allegations against Zakir Hossain's two brothers, Zainal Abedin and Md. Abul Kalam, were not proven, the court acquitted them.

He said delivering the verdict in such a short time was a historic development, one that would boost public trust in the law and the judiciary.

Meanwhile, Fahima's family expressed anger and dissatisfaction over the acquittal of the two co-accused. Fahima's father, Raisul Haque, said those involved in concealing the body had gone free, and that they too should be brought to justice, and Zakir's execution carried out swiftly. He said he would appeal the acquittal of the two accused in a higher court.

Court sources said that on May 7, neighbor and 'uncle' Zakir Hossain lured the child Fahima into his room in Sonatola village on the pretext of bringing her a cigarette, then confined her and attempted to rape her. When the child lost consciousness, Zakir strangled her to death out of fear of being caught. He hid the body in a suitcase in his room for two days before dumping it in a ditch in the Badaghat area.

Subsequently, when a murder case was filed at Jalalabad police station of Sylhet Metropolitan Police on May 8, police arrested Zakir. After Zakir confessed to the crime in court, police submitted a charge sheet against him and his two brothers 33 days after the incident. This charged main accused Zakir Hossain along with his two brothers, Zainal Abedin and Abul Kalam.

The charge sheet accused Zakir Hossain of attempted rape and murder, while his two brothers, Zainal and Kalam, were accused of aiding in the concealment of the body.

The child Fahima went missing from home on May 6. Two days later, on the night of May 8, police recovered Fahima's body from a ditch beside the house. After his arrest, Zakir gave a harrowing account of the incident to police and in court under section 164. After the trial began on July 1, the court delivered its verdict following a nearly month-long expedited trial process.

Meanwhile, following Fahima's murder, angry local residents attacked and vandalized Zakir's house on multiple occasions. Ministers and leaders of various political parties and social organizations also visited Fahima's family to offer condolences and assurances of a swift trial.