A tribunal in Khagrachhari has sentenced a man to death for raping a second-grade madrasa student. The verdict was delivered on Monday by Judge Shayela Sharmin of the Child Violence Suppression Tribunal. According to court sources, this is the first verdict since the tribunal’s formation, issued just 11 months and 14 days after the incident. The court reached its decision based on testimony from ten prosecution witnesses and three defense witnesses.

Public Prosecutor Srijoni Tripura expressed satisfaction with the ruling, calling it a landmark for its speed and for addressing a heinous crime. She said the judgment would help reduce crime and ensure justice for the victim’s family. Defense lawyer Bedarul Islam announced plans to appeal the verdict to a higher court.

According to the case file, the victim was a student of Nakapa Islamia Dakhil Madrasa in Ramgarh. The accused, local shopkeeper Md. Shahin, lured the child into his shop with food and later raped her behind the shop. A case was filed under Section 9(1) of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act, 2000 (amended 2003).