Hearings on the death reference and appeal for Hitu Sheikh, an accused in the rape and murder case of eight-year-old Achia in Magura, have concluded.
On Monday (August 24), the High Court bench of Justice Bhishmadev Chakrabarty and Justice K M Rashiduzzaman Raja set Tuesday as the date for the verdict after concluding the hearing. State-appointed lawyer Hafizur Rahman Khan represented the accused in court, while deputy attorney general Imam Hossain Tarek represented the state.
On the night of March 5 last year, the child was raped while visiting her sister’s home in the Nizanandualy area of Magura town. Hitu Sheikh, her sister’s father-in-law, not only raped the girl but also attempted to kill her.
The eight-year-old later died while undergoing treatment at the Combined Military Hospital in Dhaka. The victim’s mother filed a case against Hitu Sheikh and three others over the incident.
Police submitted a charge sheet in the closely watched case on April 13, 2025. Trial proceedings began with the framing of charges on April 23, and evidence recording began on April 27.
Evidence recording in the case concluded on May 7 last year. The trial proceedings in this closely watched case were completed in just 13 working days. Closing arguments concluded a year earlier, on May 13, in the court of Judge M Zahid Hasan of the Magura Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal. Following the closing arguments, the verdict was announced on May 17 that same year.