HC stays fine on death-row convict
Wed Jul 2, 2025 04:05 AM
The High Court yesterday admitted the appeal filed by death-row convict Hitu Sheikh against the lower court verdict in the rape and murder case of an eight-year-old girl in Magura.
The HC also stayed the part of the verdict that fined Hitu Sheikh Tk 1 lakh.
The bench of Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman and Justice Md Sagir Hossain passed the order after a brief hearing.
Hitu’s lawyer, Md Abbas Uddin, told The Daily Star that the HC will hold a full hearing on the appeal later.
On May 17, the Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal in Magura sentenced the prime accused, Hitu Sheikh, to death for the brutal rape and murder.
His wife, Jaheda Begum, 38, and sons Ratul Sheikh, 18, and Sajib Sheikh, 20, were acquitted as the charges against them could not be proven.
Judge M Zahid Hasan delivered the verdict 70 days after the case was filed on March 8. The trial was completed in 11 working days, according to the prosecution.
Hitu Sheikh, 44, is the father-in-law of the victim’s sister, and Sajib is the victim’s brother-in-law.
According to case documents, the child went to visit her elder sister’s home in the Nijnanduali Mathpara area of Magura Sadar on March 1 this year.
She was raped there in the early hours of March 6.
On the same day, she was taken to the Magura 250-bed District Hospital in a critical condition and later transferred to Faridpur Medical College Hospital.
From Faridpur, she was taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital in an unconscious state on that day and put on life support the next night.
When her condition deteriorated, the child was transferred to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Dhaka on March 8. She died at the CMH on March 13.
On March 8, her mother filed the case with Magura Sadar Police Station under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act, accusing Hitu, Jaheda, Sajib and Ratul.
