Md. Roni Ahmed Raju, Magura Correspondent:
The court has sentenced Hasan Sheikh to death for the attempted rape and brutal strangulation of schoolgirl Razia Sultana (12) of Sreepur Upazila of Magura. On Monday, July 20, 2026, the Magura District and Sessions Judge Court announced this verdict.
According to the details of the case and sources from lawyers, in 2022, Razia Sultana, a resident of Sreekol village in Sreepur Upazila and a sixth-grade student of a local school, went to pick garlic in a garlic field. There, Hasan Sheikh of the same village forcibly took her to a bamboo grove near the river and tried to rape her. After failing in the rape attempt, Hasan strangled Razia’s neck with a veil and killed her. Later, injuries and wounds were caused to her body with a blade to ensure death.
During the investigation, Hasan Sheikh’s DNA report matched the hair and samples recovered from the scene, which was considered as evidence of his crime in the court. A total of 11 witnesses were heard in the case, where all the witnesses were able to prove the guilt of the accused.
After the verdict was announced, the mother of the deceased Razia, Chabaron Nesa Santosh, expressed her satisfaction and said, “This boy named Hasan is from our village. He used to harass my daughter constantly. He forcibly took her from the garlic field and committed this brutal incident. I am satisfied with today’s verdict, but I want this death sentence to be implemented very quickly.”
A young lawyer present in the court premises, Md. Morshed, said about the verdict, “Although it took some time because the legal process is complicated, the crime has been proven beyond doubt based on proper investigation and DNA report. We are happy with this verdict and hope that this verdict will be upheld in the High Court and will be implemented soon.”
It is worth noting that the death sentence was also given to the accused in the controversial ‘Achiya murder case’ that took place in Magura, which is still awaiting implementation. The people of Magura demand that the implementation of the verdict in the case of Razia should not be limited to paper only, but rather that it should be reflected in the final form through quick practical steps.