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Published : 22 Jun 2026, 12:40 AM
Locked in Legal Limbo
A dream shattered: Tragedy struck in 2021 when the 14-year-old student, who dreamt of becoming a doctor, was killed in a Kalabagan flat
Father’s agony: Five years of relentless court delays have “exhausted” a grieving father, who says it has completely “consumed his life and business”
Trials stalled: Only 17 of 55 listed witnesses have testified as absence of key medical personnel holds up the rape-murder trial
The teenager had dreamed of becoming a doctor.
Nearly five years have passed since the O-Level student left her home in Dhaka's Kalabagan for what her family believed was a routine outing and never returned alive.
The outrage was immediate. The calls for justice were loud.
The case that followed -- alleging rape, murder and a life cut short at 14 -- shook the country, dominated headlines and fuelled demands for swift justice.
But none of that has brought a conclusion.
For her father, the passage of time has brought not closure, but a relentless cycle of court dates, delays and mounting frustration.
Of the 55 witnesses listed in the case, only 17 have testified so far.
“I am finished from running after this case,” the girl's father told bdnews24.com. “I cannot focus on anything else.”
Death that Stunned the Nation
The events date back to Jan 7, 2021.
That afternoon, the teenage student of Mastermind School's O-Level programme was taken to Anwer Khan Modern Hospital in Kalabagan by her male friend, Iftekhar Fardin Dihan.
Doctors declared her dead shortly after arrival.
Hospital authorities immediately informed police, who recovered the body and sent it to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for postmortem.
Police later said the teenager had left home after telling her family she was going to a friend's residence for what was described as a “group study” session. No one else was present in the flat at the time.
Investigators recovered evidence from the apartment indicating sexual activity. The girl's family alleged that she had been raped and murdered.
That same night, her father filed a case with Kalabagan Police Station, naming Dihan as the sole suspect.
According to the complaint, the teenager's mother left for work around 8:30am on the day of the incident, followed by her father about an hour later.
Around 11:45am, the girl called her mother and said she was going out to collect study materials from coaching classes.
At 1:18pm, Dihan telephoned her mother and informed her that the teenager had visited their home and suddenly become unconscious. He said she had been taken to the emergency department of Anwer Khan Modern Hospital.
Her mother arrived at the hospital at 1:52pm.
According to the case statement, she learned there that Dihan had called the girl to his residence in Kalabagan’s Dolphin Goli, where he raped her. When she lost consciousness due to severe bleeding, he took her to hospital himself.
The following day's postmortem examination found injuries to her genital area and signs of excessive bleeding. Investigators concluded that the bleeding caused her death.
Dihan later gave a confessional statement before a court accepting responsibility for the incident. He remains in prison.
On Nov 8, 2021, Police Bureau of Investigation inspector Khaled Saifullah submitted the chargesheet against him.
The Dhaka Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal formally framed charges on Feb 16, 2022, paving the way for trial.
Justice Delayed
When proceedings began, prosecutors pledged to prioritise the case and ensure witnesses appeared promptly.
Testimony started on Mar 31, 2022.
The most recently completed witness examination was that of Motaleb, a security guard at the building where the incident occurred, identified by a single name. His testimony began on May 29 last year and concluded after cross-examination on Jul 17.
On May 11 this year, investigating officer Khaled Saifullah appeared in court to testify. But at the complainant's request, the court deferred his testimony and instead fixed Jun 30 for the testimony of the doctor who conducted the postmortem examination.
According to both the complainant and his lawyer, the absence of that doctor has become one of the main obstacles preventing the trial from moving forward.
“What can I say?” the father said. “Given the state of the country, this is what happens. It's just time lost, time lost.”
He said former Dhaka Medical College forensic physician Sohel Mahmud had been summoned but informed the court he was unable to appear physically and wished to testify online.
The tribunal, however, lacks such a facility.
“He and three or four other witnesses are holding up the case,” the father said.
The burden of the prolonged proceedings has extended far beyond the courtroom.
“After losing my daughter, the damage now is 10 times worse,” he said. “I cannot focus on my other children. I cannot focus on my business. The case is consuming everything.”
His daughter had dreamt of becoming a doctor.
“That dream will never be fulfilled,” he said. “There is nothing left but regret. The case needs to end. I cannot carry on like this.”
Prosecutor Abul Kalam Azad said efforts were continuing to conclude the trial quickly, though the absence of several witnesses remained a major challenge. He attributed delays to the large number of witnesses and legal proceedings initiated by the defence in higher courts.
“We will try to finish the trial this year,” he said.
The complainant's lawyer, Deepti Sikdar, said witness testimony was nearing completion. After the postmortem doctor and investigating officer testify, only two or three witnesses are expected to remain.
“We hope the trial will conclude soon,” she said.
Defence lawyer Borhan Uddin said he would seek to prove Dihan's innocence through evidence and witness testimony.
Court bench assistant Ishtiaq Hossain Jony said the High Court had earlier refused bail to the accused and directed that the case be disposed of expeditiously, warning that prolonged delays could later become a factor in bail considerations.
