Man gets death penalty in rape and murder of 11-year-old girl

The 23-year-old man strangled the girl, fearing that she will reveal the rape incident

A Faridpur tribunal has sentenced a young man to death for murdering an 11-year-old girl after raping her in Boalmari nearly two years ago.

Judge Md Hafizur Rahman of Faridpur Women and Children’s Repression Prevention Tribunal delivered the verdict in the presence of the convict, Rasel Sikder, 23, on Tuesday.

State lawyer Swapan Paul said Rasel, a resident of Ichhadanga village, was sent to prison after the verdict.

Swapan said the family of the girl, who was in the sixth grade, ran a grocery shop next to Rasel’s home.

Rasel had bought some products on credit and asked the girl to visit his home to take the money.

When the girl went to his home in the evening of Aug 22, 2022, Rasel "raped the girl in the bathroom and strangled her after tying her hands and legs out of fear that she would tell everyone about the incident”, said Swapan, citing the case dossier.

When the family started looking for her, Rasel tried to flee, but was caught by locals who called police afterwards.

Police then recovered the body from the bathroom and Rasel confessed to the crime in a statement given to a court.

The child’s father started a case against Rasel the next day. Police formally charged Rasel in court on Apr 30, 2023.

The judge also sentenced Rasel to five years in jail and fined him Tk 40,000.

Swapan hoped the verdict will help establish law and order, while the girl’s family demanded quick execution of the judgment.