Bangladesh court to deliver verdict on murder attempt of college girl

A Bangladesh court is set to pronounce its verdict in the attempt on the life of a college girl in the northeastern district of Sylhet last year.

On Oct 3, 2016, Sylhet Government Women's College student Khadiza Begum Nargis was attacked by her 'disgruntled boyfriend' Badrul Alam.

Khadiza was waylaid and hacked by Badrul on the Sylhet MC College premises, where she had gone to take an exam that day.

Sylhet's Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court concluded the trial on Mar 5 and kept its verdict pending for Wednesday.

Badrul carried out the attack reportedly following an unrequited love affair with Khadiza.

He was caught by the people who witnessed the attack and was handed over to the police immediately after the attack.

A video of the attack went viral on the social media triggering protests across Bangladesh.

Sylhet Government Women's College students demonstrating on Tuesday against the brutal attack on Khadiza Begum Nargis.

Charges of attempt to murder have been pressed against Badrul, a leader of ruling Awami League's student affiliate Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) at the Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) in Sylhet.

Public Prosecutor Misbah Uddin Siraj told the media on Mar 5, "The charges under Sections 307, 324 and 326 of the Bangladesh Penal Code against the defendant have been proven. We hope for the maximum punishment, that is life in prison."

Defence counsel claims that Badrul was under the influence of drugs, when he carried out the attack, 

"He had no idea what he was doing then. Besides that, we told the court that he was a meritorious student of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology," said lawyer Sajjadur Rahman.

He hoped the court will acquit his client.

The machete blows ruptured Khadiza's skull and injured her brain.  

She was put on life support at Dhaka’s Square Hospital on Oct 4 with injuries all over her body including the head.

She sustained brain injuries, and on Oct 13, she underwent multiple surgeries .

Khadiza went through three surgeries and was sent to the Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Paralysed as her left side was paralysed.

After more than three months of treatment and intensive care, she returned home on Feb 24.

Badrul was caught by the mob at the spot of the attack and handed over to police.

Police collected the video footage of the attack, and Badrul also gave a confessional statement under Section 164 of the CrPC.

The trial started after the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court framed charges against Badrul on Nov 29 last year.

The court has heard statements of 34 witnesses and Khadiza.

In her statement given to the court on Feb 26, Khadiza said Badrul had been harassing her for five to six years. He was a tutor at her house, she said.

"I have become a physically challenged person for the rest of my life in the atrocious attack by Badrul. I seek maximum punishment for him," she said in the statement.

The case filed under Sections 307, 324 and 326 of the Bangladesh Penal Code was being heard at the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court, which does not have the authority to hand down harsher punishment like the death penalty.

It was later transferred to the sessions judge's court.