A court in Chattogram has sentenced Md Abir Ali to death for the abduction and brutal murder of five-year-old Alina Islam Ayat, a case that involved the dismemberment of the child’s body into six parts.
The court also imposed a fine of Tk1 lakh on the convict.
The verdict was announced on Wednesday by Judge Muhammad Ali Akkas of the Sixth Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court in Chattogram. Abir was present in the courtroom when the judgment was delivered.
According to Assistant Public Prosecutor Mohammad Raihanul Wazed Chowdhury, the court found the accused guilty beyond reasonable doubt based on a range of evidence, including the confessional statement of the accused, inquest and autopsy reports, recovered materials, and multiple witness testimonies. The court additionally ordered one year of rigorous imprisonment if the fine is not paid.
The judge described the crime as premeditated, brutal, and inhumane, noting that it was capable of spreading fear in society. The court also observed that the accused had been influenced by crime-related television content.
State prosecutor Jalal Uddin said that 33 witnesses testified during the trial before the court reached its final decision after completing arguments.
Police records show that Ayat, daughter of Sohel Rana from the Bandar Tila area under EPZ Police Station in Chattogram, went missing on 15 November 2022. A general diary was filed, and later the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) took over the case.
Investigators later found that Abir, a tenant in the family’s residence, was responsible for the abduction and murder. He was arrested on 25 November 2022 and later confessed before the court. The charge-sheet was filed in October 2023, while a juvenile co-accused is being tried separately.
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