A court in Dhaka has sentenced Sohel Rana and his wife, Swapna Akter, to death for their roles in the rape and brutal murder of an eight-year-old child in the capital’s Pallabi area.

The court also imposed financial penalties, ordering Sohel Rana to pay a fine of 500,000 taka and Swapna Akter to pay 200,000 taka.

The verdict was delivered on Sunday by Judge Masrur Saleqin of the Dhaka Metropolitan Child Violence Prevention Tribunal. The judge announced the decision after taking the bench at around 11:00 a.m.

Both convicted individuals were brought from prison to the Dhaka court complex under tight security before the judgment was announced.

The case moved through the judicial process at an unusually rapid pace. The crime occurred on May 19, and the verdict was delivered just 19 days later. Final arguments from both the prosecution and defense were completed on June 4, after which the court scheduled June 7 for the verdict.

During the proceedings, prosecutors argued that Sohel Rana committed the principal offense and sought the maximum punishment available under the law. They also maintained that Swapna Akter had assisted or failed to prevent the crime and should therefore be held legally accountable. Testimony from the victim’s parents was presented before the court.

According to investigators, the child’s dismembered body was recovered from an apartment in Pallabi on May 19. Before police arrived, Sohel Rana allegedly escaped by breaking through a bathroom grille. Swapna Akter was detained at the residence, while Sohel Rana was later arrested in Narayanganj’s Fatullah area.

The victim’s father subsequently filed a case with Pallabi Police Station.

On May 20, both accused individuals reportedly gave confessional statements before a metropolitan magistrate in Dhaka. Formal charges were framed on June 1, and the court proceeded with witness testimony, defense statements, and closing arguments before issuing its final judgment.

Prosecutors stated that they had requested the highest punishment permitted by law, leaving the final decision to the court’s discretion.