Magura rape victim buried; prime accused’s house torched

Relatives of rape victim eight-year-old girl Asiya wail at her death on Thusrday 13 March 2025

Magura, Mar 13 – Eight-year-old girl Asiya who died at Combined Military Hospital (CMH) after being raped a week ago was laid to eternal rest at her village home at Jaria village in Sreepur upazila of Magura district on Thursday. 

The girl was buried hours after her body was brought to Magura stadium by a helicopter around 5:15 pm. 

Her namaz-e-janaza was held after Maghrib prayers  at Magura Nomani Maidan around 7 pm. 

People from all walks of life participated in the janaza. 

Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhtar was present there. 

She was later buried at Jaria village in Sreepur upazila of the district, near her house. 

As the death news spread, the agitated people set the house of Hitu Sheikh, the prime accused in the rape case, on fire at Nijnanduali village in Sadar upazila on Thursday evening. 

The incident occurred on March 5 night when the victim visited her sister’s in-laws’ house at Nijnanduali village in Magura’s Sadar upazila. 

She went to bed with her sister at night, but at the dead of night, her sister found her missing and began searching for her. 

After a frantic search, the girl was found unconscious a few yards away from the house. 

She was initially admitted to Magura General Hospital and later transferred to Faridpur Medical College Hospital as her condition deteriorated. 

On Thursday, she was moved to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) before being shifted to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH), Dhaka. 

The rape of the girl sparked protests across the country. University students, including that of Dhaka University, staged demonstrations on their respective campuses, demanding the death penalty of the accused. 

Meanwhile, police arrested four people -- victim's brother-in-law Sojib Sheikh, 20, his brother Ratul Sheikh, 25, and their parents, i.e. her sister's parents-in-law, Hitu Sheikh, 50,and Jabeda Begum, 40, -- in connection with the rape on March 8(Sunday). 

On Monday midnight, a Magura court placed the main accused on a seven-day remand and three others on a five-day remand each. 

The High Court (HC) on Sunday ordered the lower court to complete the trial of the case within six months.

The HC also ordered the completion of investigation into the case within 30 days, and submit a report in this regard accordingly. - UNB