A Noakhali court has postponed the verdict in the widely discussed case of five-year-old Asma Akter’s rape and murder for the third time. The Special Child Tribunal in the district, presided over by Judge Farzana Akter, set a new date of July 6 for the verdict announcement. The decision was confirmed by the plaintiff’s lawyer, Advocate Shukla Saha.

According to the case details, Asma, daughter of Maulana Md. Shahjahan from Megha village in Chatkhil upazila, went missing on March 24, 2022. Nine days later, police recovered her body from a septic tank behind the house based on information from the accused, Shahadat, her 26-year-old cousin. During investigation, Shahadat confessed in court that he raped and then strangled the child to death before hiding the body.

The brutal killing sparked widespread outrage across Noakhali, prompting protests, human chains, and demonstrations organized by political, social, and educational groups. Locals have consistently demanded swift justice and the death penalty for the accused.