Three sentenced to death for 2019 rape, murder in Shariatpur

A Shariatpur tribunal has sentenced three people to death for the 2019 murder of a housewife after gang-rape in Damudya Upazila.

Judge Salam Khan of the district’s Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal delivered the verdict on Wednesday, also handing the convicts Tk 50,000 fines each.  

The tribunal acquitted nine other accused as the prosecution failed to prove their involvement in the incident, said Firoz Ahmed, public prosecutor of the tribunal.

The three who got death penalty are Abdul Haque Mutait, 42, Zakir Hossain Mutait, 33, and Morshed Ukil, 56. All three are behind bars.

The victim, Hawa Begum, was the wife of Khokon Ukil of Chorbhoira Ukil Para. She went missing on Jan 20 night last year after going out to charge her mobile phone at a neighbour’s home.

Her daughter Moyna Akter found the body in an abandoned building in their village the next day.

Police arrested several people after Khokon started a case naming nine.

Three of them admitted to killing Hawa by hitting her in the head and strangling after the rape.

Prosecutor Firoz said the plaintiff was happy to get justice.

Defence lawyer Tajul Islam said they would challenge the verdict in the High Court.