A court in Dhaka has sentenced Sohel Rana and his wife Swapna Akter to death for the rape and murder of an eight-year-old child in Pallabi. The Dhaka Metropolitan Child Repression Tribunal, presided over by Judge Masrur Salekin, delivered the verdict on Sunday. Sohel Rana was also fined Tk 5 lakh, and Swapna Akter was fined Tk 2 lakh. The child was raped and murdered on May 19, and the accused were arrested shortly after the incident.
The court heard arguments from both the prosecution and the defense before delivering the verdict. The prosecution demanded the maximum penalty under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act. Sohel Rana and Swapna Akter were produced in court on Sunday morning from prison. The child's parents testified during the trial.
Sohel Rana fled the scene by breaking the toilet grill of the flat where the crime occurred, while Swapna Akter was arrested at the scene. Sohel Rana was later arrested in Fatullah, Narayanganj. The child's father filed a case at Pallabi Police Station. The accused provided confessional statements on May 20, and the tribunal framed charges on June 1.
