NN Online:
A Magura court on Saturday sentenced one man to death and acquitted three others in the widely discussed rape and murder case of eight-year-old Asiya.
Hitu Sheikh, 50, the prime accused and father-in-law of Asiya’s sister, was handed the death penalty. His wife, Jabeda Begum, 40, and two sons—Sajib Sheikh, 20, and Ratul Sheikh, 25—were acquitted.
Judge Md Zahid Hasan of the Magura Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal delivered the verdict. He stated that 29 witnesses testified and seven pieces of evidence were presented during the trial.
The tragic incident occurred on the night of March 5 in Nijnanduali village, Sadar upazila, while Asiya was visiting her sister’s in-laws’ house. She went to bed with her sister but was found missing around midnight. After an intense search, she was discovered unconscious a short distance from the house.
Asiya was first taken to Magura General Hospital, then transferred to Faridpur Medical College Hospital, and later moved to Dhaka Medical College Hospital. As her condition deteriorated, she was shifted to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Dhaka, where she died on March 13.
The brutal crime triggered widespread protests across the country, with university students—including those from Dhaka University—demanding capital punishment for the perpetrators.
Police arrested Hitu Sheikh and his three family members shortly after the incident. On April 13, sub-inspector Md Alauddin of Magura Sadar Police Station, also the investigating officer, submitted a charge sheet naming the four. Charges were officially framed on April 23.
Hitu Sheikh later gave a confessional statement in court, admitting to the rape and murder.
