Sarjis Alam, chief organiser (north) of the National Citizen Party (NCP), urged the authorities concerned to set an instance by ensuring a speedy trial and exemplary punishment for the rape of a minor girl in Magura on 5 March.

The entire nation is ashamed due to the unnatural death of Magura rape victim, wrote Sarjis, one of the key leaders of Students Against Discrimination (SAD), the group credited with the unceremonious fall of the fascist Sheikh Hasina-led government, on his verified Facebook page, as he shared news of the victim’s death.

Claiming that a culture of impunity, political interference, and intentional delays in trial proceedings have brought the country's judiciary to the verge of collapse, he said the shattered justice system must be revived by ensuring capital punishment for the perpetrators involved in the rape incident.

The eight-year-old girl of Magura, who was undergoing treatment following a brutal assault, died at Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Dhaka around 1pm on Thursday.