A court sentenced a man named Abdul Mannan Sardar to life imprisonment in a child rape case seven days after the trial had begun in Bagerhat. He was also fined Tk 20,000 and sentenced to one more year imprisonment for non-payment of the fine.
On Monday (October 19), the landmark verdict was handed down by the Judge of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal in Bagerhat.
No rape case was decided so quickly before. According to the case sources, a seven-year-old child who lost her father lived with his uncle in Mongla Upazila. On the afternoon of October 3, Abdul Mannan Sardar of Makordon village in the same upazila raped the child after tempting her into having biscuits.
Later, when the girl informed her uncle about this, the child's uncle filed a case against Abdul Mannan with Mongla police station on the same night.
Subsequently Mongla police arrested Abdul Mannan on that night, Mongla police sub-inspector (SI) Biswajit Mukherjee submitted the charge sheet in the court on October 11. The charge was later framed on October 12.
On 13 October, deposition of 16 witnesses was taken. On October 14, the deposition of doctor, judicial magistrate, women police members and the investigating officer of the case was written down. On 15 October, the defense witness was recorded.
However, after completing the trial of the case within seven working days on Sunday (October 18), the court fixed Monday (October 19) the date for the declaration of judgment in the rape case. Accordingly, the judgment was announced on Monday (October 19).
Women leaders, lawyers and civil society representatives saw the end of the judicial process in just seven working days as an example. Many have commented that if the trial of heinous crimes like rape was completed in this way, it would play a vital role in preventing rape.
Citing the verdict as an example for rapists, Rizia Parveen, regional coordinator of the Khulna and Barisal divisions of the Women's Development Forum, said it was a shining example of the judicial process that could be completed in a short time if law enforcement agencies were sincere.
This verdict will be an example for rapists. The complainant gets a lot of relief if the verdict is given in a short time. The victim can also gain peace of mind by hearing the verdict before forgetting the wounds of his horrible memory. We will demand that the trial of other rape cases be completed expeditiously.
State counsel APP Ranjit Kumar Mandal said the Women and Child Abuse Prevention Act states that if the accused is caught in a rape case, the trial can be completed within 15 working days. This case is proof of that.