Former Principal Sentenced to Death for Burning to Death Female Student Who Reported Sexual Harassment in Bangladesh

A former school principal, who became the defendant in a high-profile retaliatory murder case of a female student who suffered sexual harassment that sparked public outrage in Bangladesh seven years ago, has been sentenced to death in an appeals court.

According to AFP and Asian News Network (ANN) on the 25th (local time), the High Court in Bangladesh upheld the death penalty handed down in the first trial for SM Siraj Ud Doula, a former Islamic seminary principal charged with murder, and an acquaintance.

The appeals court also commuted the death sentences of four out of 14 accomplices who were previously sentenced to death in the first trial to life imprisonment, while acquitting the remaining 10.

ANN reported that the specific reasoning behind the appeals court's rulings of guilt and innocence remains unknown as the full verdict has not yet been released.

However, the appeals panel pointed out that the lower court had indiscriminately and collectively sentenced all defendants to death.

During the appellate proceedings, defense attorneys for some of the defendants argued that the victim had taken her own life or that their clients did not participate in the crime.

Meanwhile, Bangladeshi prosecutors urged the appeals court to deliver justice based on documents and testimonies.

The victim's family urged the government, stating, "We are still receiving messages threatening retaliation," and demanding, "Guarantee our safety."

Doula and others were indicted for murdering 19-year-old Nusrat Jahan Rafi in Feni, a village located about 100 kilometers from the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka, on April 6, 2019.

Ten days earlier, Rafi had reported being sexually harassed by the then-principal Doula to the police through her parents.

It was revealed that Doula, after being arrested for sexual harassment, had an acquaintance threaten Rafi's family to withdraw the charges and instructed his accomplices to kill Rafi if necessary.

Ultimately, Rafi was burned alive on the school rooftop, suffering burns over 80 percent of her body, and died four days later.

Investigations showed that men wearing burkas—Islamic garments covering the face with a black veil—lured Rafi to the school rooftop, pressured her to drop the charges, and when she refused, poured kerosene on her and set her on fire.

When the incident came to light, it sparked widespread public outrage across Bangladesh, leading to successive protests demanding strict punishment for the perpetrators and the protection of women's rights.
 
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.