3 men sentenced to death for gang rape and murder of teenager

The tribunal has sentenced three people to death in a case filed in Keraniganj, Dhaka district, in which a teenager named Maria was gang raped and murdered three years ago. Judge Munshi Md Moshiar Rahman of Dhaka's Women and Child Repression Prevention Tribunal-4 gave the verdict on Tuesday morning.

The convicts are Md Sajib, son of Kamir Uddin of Kholamora village under Keraniganj Model Police Station, Md. Rakib, son of Hasmat Ali of Khankanda village in Bhanga upazila of Faridpur, and Shaon alias Valka Shaon, son of Muslim Matabar of Palang Model Police Station in Shariatpur.

In addition, each of them has been sentenced to seven years in prison, a fine of Tk 10,000, and one year of non-commissioned imprisonment in default of payment of the fine. Meanwhile, Ali Akbar (22) and Md. Riaz (22) were acquitted as the charges against them were not proven. State prosecutor Ershad Alam (George) confirmed the sentence.

According to court sources, the tribunal has ordered the Dhaka District Magistrate to collect the fine money by selling the immovable or movable properties of the accused and deposit it in the state treasury.

Before the verdict was announced, the three accused Rakib, Riaz and Shaon, who were in jail, were presented before the tribunal. After the verdict, the convicted Rakib and Shaon were sent to jail with a sentence warrant. Since the convicted Sajib is absconding, the court has issued an arrest warrant along with a sentence warrant against him.

According to case sources, on June 11, 2022, the patrol police were on duty in the Antibazar area under Keraniganj Model Police Station. While on duty, at around 7:45 am, the emergency services received a call through 999 that a woman's body was floating in a pond in front of the West Bamansur Jame Mosque of Keraniganj Model Police Station. The police went there and recovered the body. Later, the Keraniganj Model Police Station filed a case. At the beginning of the investigation, the police first identified the victim. The victim's girlfriend, Brishti Akhter, testified in court as a witness that this was the body of her friend Maria. Later, the police arrested Shaon. Shaon confessed to the court and gave a statement. There, it was said that he, along with Md. Rakib, Md. Sajib, and Md. Ali Akbar, gang-raped and strangled Maria and dumped her in the water of the West Bamansur Jame Mosque. Later, Rakib and Sajib were arrested. They also confessed to the court by saying the same thing.

After investigating the case, Keraniganj Model Police Station Sub-Inspector Alok Kumar Dey filed a charge sheet in court on September 30, 2023, accusing five people. Later, charges were framed against the accused and the trial began. During the trial of the case, the tribunal recorded the testimonies of 19 people.