Man sentenced to death over rape of 11-year-old in Meherpur

A court in Meherpur today sentenced a man to death over raping an 11-year-old girl last year.

The convict is Shakil Hossain, 25, of Chandpur Dakshinpara village under Gangni upazila.

The court also fined him Tk 3 lakh, in default of which he will have to serve another year in prison.

District and Sessions Judge Md Tajul Islam of Meherpur Prevention of Children Repression Tribunal delivered the verdict at noon.

Advocate Mostafizur Rahman Tuhin stood for the state, while Advocate Maruf Ahmed Bijon defended the accused.

The case was settled in just 29 working days. To ensure a speedy trial, testimonies from distant witnesses were taken virtually. A total of 12 witnesses testified in the case.

According to the prosecution, on June 16, 2025, the child was carrying food to her father, who was working in a field, when Shakil took her to a nearby jute field and raped her.

Hearing the child's cries, farmers working in nearby fields rushed to the scene, but Shakil managed to flee. Later that afternoon, locals caught Shakil, beat him up, and handed him over to the police.