Eight-year-old Asiya, who died at the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Dhaka after being brutally raped a week ago, was laid to rest in her village home at Jaria in Sreepur upazila, Magura, on Thursday.
Her body was flown to Magura stadium by helicopter at around 5:15 p.m., and she was buried near her home following her namaz-e-janaza at Magura Nomani Maidan after Maghrib prayers. People from all walks of life attended the funeral, with Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhtar present to pay respects.
As news of her death spread, enraged locals set fire to the house of Hitu Sheikh, the prime accused in the rape case, in Nijnanduali village of Magura’s Sadar upazila on Thursday evening.
The horrifying incident occurred on the night of 5 March when Asiya visited her sister’s in-laws’ house in Nijnanduali. She had gone to bed with her sister, but later in the night, she was discovered missing. After a frantic search, she was found unconscious a short distance away.
She was first taken to Magura General Hospital before being transferred to Faridpur Medical College Hospital as her condition worsened. Later, she was moved to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) and eventually to CMH, where she succumbed to her injuries.
The crime sparked nationwide outrage, with university students—including those at Dhaka University—holding protests and demanding the death penalty for the perpetrators.
Police have arrested four people in connection with the rape: the victim's brother-in-law, Sojib Sheikh (20); his brother, Ratul Sheikh (25); and their parents, Hitu Sheikh (50) and Jabeda Begum (40). They were taken into custody on March 8.
On Monday midnight, a Magura court placed the main accused on a seven-day remand, while the other three were remanded for five days each.
Meanwhile, the High Court (HC) on Sunday directed the lower court to complete the trial within six months. It also ordered investigators to complete their probe within 30 days and submit a report accordingly.
