A court in Netrokona has sentenced a madrasa teacher to death for raping an 11-year-old female student, resulting in her pregnancy. The court also imposed a fine of Tk 1 lakh on the convict.
The verdict was delivered on Wednesday by Judge Abdus Salam of the Netrokona District and Sessions Judge Court, who also presides over the Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal. The convicted teacher, Aman Ullah Mahmudi, also known as Sagar, was present in court when the judgment was announced at around 1pm.
According to the case documents, the incident took place in November 2025 at a women's Qawmi madrasa in Pachhat Barabari village under Kaitail union of Madan upazila. The accused, Aman Ullah Mahmudi, who was a teacher and director of the institution, summoned the 11-year-old student to the madrasa and sexually assaulted her. Following the incident, the accused threatened to kill the child if she disclosed what had happened. Frightened by the threats, the girl remained silent and eventually stopped attending the madrasa.
Several months later, her family members became concerned after noticing physical changes in her health. In April 2026, they took her to a doctor, where medical examinations confirmed that she was pregnant. On April 23, the victim's mother filed a case with Madan police station, accusing the teacher and his brother, Mamun Mia, in connection with the incident.
The case sparked widespread outrage across the country and prompted an investigation by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB-14). On May 6, the principal accused, Aman Ullah Mahmudi, was arrested in Gouripur upazila of Mymensingh. Later police secured a three-day remand for questioning.
On July 2, the child gave birth to a girl at Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital. As part of the investigation, a Criminal Investigation Department (CID) team collected DNA samples from the newborn under a court order. The samples were sent to Dhaka for forensic examination. The DNA test report subsequently established a 99.99% match between the newborn's DNA and that of the accused teacher, providing significant forensic evidence in the case. Following the receipt of the DNA report, Sub-Inspector Aktaruzzaman, the investigating officer, submitted a charge sheet to the court on August 27, naming Aman Ullah Mahmudi and his brother Mamun Mia as accused.
The prosecution and defence concluded their arguments on October 28, after which the court scheduled November 11 for delivering its judgment. During the proceedings, the accused sought an acquittal by offering to transfer ownership of his remaining 12-decimal plot of land. However, the court rejected the proposal and proceeded with the verdict.
The death sentence marks a significant development in a case that drew nationwide attention and renewed public concern over sexual violence against children, the safety of students in educational institutions and the responsibility of those entrusted with their care.
The case highlights the importance of timely reporting, effective investigation and forensic evidence in ensuring accountability for crimes against children. It also highlights the safety concerns of girls and women around the country. The verdict is a fresh breath of air for the women since rape cases have been towering over lately. Almost none of the victims get justice, while the predators roam around freely. This case brings a beam of hope and a very small piece of justice to every woman who has been wronged or simply has to live with the fear of being harmed.
