A Magura court on Saturday sentenced a man to death and acquitted three people in the much-talked-about rape and murder case of eight-year-old Asiya.

The court sentenced Hitu Sheikh, 50, prime accused in the case and father-in-law of Asiya’s sister to death while acquitted Hitu’s wife Jabeda Begum, 40 and two sons- Sajib Sheikh, 20 and Ratul Sheikh, 25.

Judge Md Zahid Hasan of the Magura Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal announced the judgment.

A total of 29 witnesses testified in the case and seven pieces of evidence were seized, he added.

The rape took place on the night of March 5, when the victim was visiting her sister’s in-laws’ house in Nijnanduali village of Sadar upazila.

She went to bed with her sister that night, but around midnight, her sister found her missing and began searching for her.

After a frantic search, the girl was found unconscious a few yards from the house.

She was initially admitted to Magura General Hospital and later transferred to Faridpur Medical College Hospital as her condition worsened.

She was then moved to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) and later to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH), Dhaka, where she died on March 13.

The brutal incident sparked protests across the country. University students, including those from Dhaka University, staged demonstrations on their campuses demanding capital punishment for the accused.

Police arrested Hitu Sheikh and three of his family members in connection with the incident.

On April 13, sub-inspector Md Alauddin of Magura Sadar Police Station, the investigation officer in the case, submitted a charge sheet to the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate, naming the four as accused.

Earlier, on April 23, the court framed charges against them.

Prime accused Hitu Sheikh was charged with rape and murder, and he made a confessional statement before the court.