In an unprecedented quick trial, a Bagerhat court has sentenced a man to life in prison for raping a child.
Bagerhat Prevention of Women and Child Oppression Tribunal Judge Md Nure Alam issued the verdict on Monday, reports bdnews24.com.
The convict, Abdul Mannan Sarder, was also slapped with a fine of Tk 20,000.
On Oct 12, charges were framed on the case of raping a seven-year-old child in the Asrayan Project in Mongla Upazila.
The court has announced the verdict in a week from the day of framing the charges. This is an unprecedented incident in the history of penal court in Bangladesh to complete a trial in such a short time, said the lawyers.
According to the Prevention of Oppression against Women and Children Act, the trial of a suspect in a rape case can be completed in 15 working days, said APP Ranojit Kumar Mondol. “The Bagerhat court has set an example by announcing the verdict in such a short notice,” he said.
The development comes when protests have spread across Bangladesh demanding swift trials and exemplary punishment of rapists.
Rocked by a string of incidents of sexual violence against women for which the protesters blame “a culture of impunity”, the government has introduced death penalty for rape.