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Published : 21 May 2026, 08:54 PM
A year has passed since a Magura court delivered the death penalty in the shocking rape and murder case of an 8-year-old girl, but the verdict has still not been executed -- leaving the victim’s family in anguish and raising fresh questions over judicial follow-through.
The trial of the case, which involved the child’s visit to her sister’s in-laws’ home, was completed in just 14 working days.
The court sentenced Hitu Sheikh, who was the key suspect, to death.
The victim’s mother expressed deep frustration over the delay.
“The government has many things to take care of, they can keep feeding Hitu Sheikh. But I don’t understand why his verdict is not being executed,” she said. “How long do we have to wait to see him hanged? I don’t know.”
She added, “His two sons were acquitted. I feel that if it takes much longer, he too may eventually be acquitted.”
A recent visit to the victim’s home in Magura’s Sreepur revealed a quiet, grief-stricken household. At first, the mother was unwilling to speak, but later broke her silence.
“We are very poor. My husband is mentally unstable and often has to be restrained with chains,” she said. “Do I take care of him, or run around courts for the execution of the verdict?”
“We have said many times -- we have no one except God. No one has come to see how we have survived this year. Last year, many came after my daughter’s death and made promises,” she added.
She also said, “Even Prime Minister Tarique Rahman spoke to me on the phone and assured support. But now I receive no help from anyone. We are surviving only by relying on God.”
She said the family once received a cow from an organisation, which they now raise for survival. “Whatever we can manage, we eat and live on that.”
The grieving mother also revealed that she had to arrange the marriage of her elder daughter, who had been visiting the same house where the crime occurred, due to extreme poverty and inability to support her.
Meanwhile, a visit to the convict Hitu Sheikh’s village showed a rebuilt shelter standing on the ashes of a burned-down homestead.
Locals had torched the original house after the incident.
The family now lives in a makeshift structure built with cement bags, polythene and old tin sheets.
Nearby, a semi-built structure with old bricks is also visible.
Hitu Sheikh’s wife Jaheda Khatun and their two sons, who were acquitted by the court, live there. The sons, Ratul and Shojib -- both identified by single names, reportedly work as construction labourers.
Hitu Sheikh’s mother Rokeya Begum said, “After the house was destroyed, we somehow built this shack and are surviving here. Ratul and Shojib work in construction.”
She insisted on her son’s innocence: “My son Hitu Sheikh is innocent. My health is very poor. My son will never see my face again.”
The victim, a third grader, travelled to her sister’s in-laws’ home in Nijananduali village on Mar 1, 2025 during Ramadan holidays.
On Mar 6, she was raped. After fighting for her life for eight days at different hospitals, she died on Mar 13 at the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Dhaka.
Following her death, her mother filed a case at Magura Sadar Police Station naming Hitu Sheikh, his son-in-law Shojib Sheikh, his brother Ratul Sheikh and their mother Jaheda Khatun. All four were arrested.
Hitu Sheikh later gave a confessional statement under Section 164 before a magistrate.
The incident sparked nationwide outrage, with protests and human chain demonstrations demanding the maximum punishment.
Police submitted the chargesheet on Apr 13. The case was sent to the tribunal on Apr 17. Testimony began on Apr 27, and on May 17, the court sentenced Hitu Sheikh to death while acquitting the other three suspects.
However, even after the verdict, the victim’s mother said she was not satisfied with the acquittal of the other suspects.
Although the judgment came just two months and 11 days after the incident, it remains unexecuted more than a year later.
Lawyer for the complainant Monirul Islam Mukul said an appeal has been filed by the defence.
“We expect the appeal will be disposed of quickly and the death sentence will be executed,” he said.
Magura District Gono Committee Member Secretary Shampa Bose said public anger persists over the delay.
“It is frustrating that the death penalty in such a brutal and sensational case has not yet been executed,” she said.
“She added that prolonged delays in justice encourage further crimes, pointing to recent incidents such as the rape and murder of a child named Ramisa [Akter] in Dhaka’s Pallabi. We want swift execution of the verdict to set a national example,” she said.
