A court has sentenced 38-year-old Shawkat Mia to life imprisonment for the rape of a 9-year-old schoolgirl in Saltha Faridpur. The court also fined him Tk 1 lakh, defaulting on which will result in an additional year of rigorous imprisonment.
On Thursday (July 23) afternoon Judge Abul Basar of the Faridpur Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal delivered the verdict in the presence of the accused. Following the announcement Shawkat was sent to the district jail under heavy police security.
According to case details on the afternoon of May 22, 2020, the third-grader went to a vegetable field next to her house in Baro Bangrail village. Shawkat a neighbor forcibly took the child to a nearby jute field and assaulted her.
Locals found the child critically injured and rushed her to the One-Stop Crisis Centre (OCC) at Faridpur Medical College Hospital. The following day the victim's father filed a case at Saltha Police Station, naming Shawkat as the sole accused.
Police submitted the charge sheet on October 5, 2020. Following a six-year trial and extensive witness testimonies the court delivered its final verdict today.
Expressing satisfaction with the judgment Public Prosecutor (PP) Advocate Archana Das said “Justice has been served for an innocent child. This verdict will deter criminals and play a crucial role in protecting children in our society.”
