The High Court has upheld the death sentence of Hitu Sheikh, the primary accused in the rape and murder case of 8-year-old Achiya Akter in Magura. On Monday (August 31), a High Court division bench led by Justice Bhishmadev Chakrabortty announced the final verdict on the death reference and appeal in this widely discussed case.
Earlier, on August 24, the hearing on the death reference and appeal of accused Hitu Sheikh was completed. Hafizur Rahman Khan served as the state-appointed lawyer for the accused, while Deputy Attorney General Imam Hossain Tareque represented the state during the hearing.
According to court documents, on March 5, 2025, during the Ramadan holiday, eight-year-old child Achiya visited her sister’s house in the NijNanduali area of Magura town and became a victim of torture. Her sister’s father-in-law, Hitu Sheikh, brutally tortured and attempted to murder her. Achiya was rescued in critical condition and admitted to the Combined Military Hospital in Dhaka, where she succumbed to her injuries during treatment.
Following this heinous incident, the mother of the deceased child filed a case against Hitu Sheikh and three others. The police swiftly arrested the accused and submitted the charge sheet to the court on April 13, 2025. The trial court completed the fast-track judicial process, concluding witness testimony and arguments in just 13 working days.
On May 17, 2025, Judge M. Zahid Hasan of the Magura Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal sentenced accused Hitu Sheikh (47) to death and fined him 1 lakh Taka. The other three defendants in the case were acquitted.
As per criminal law, the documents for the death sentence issued by the trial tribunal were sent to the High Court for approval. After the preparation of the paper book, a hearing was held. Today, the High Court division bench published its final verdict, upholding the death sentence.
