Dhaka, June 7 -- Observing that crimes against children of such brutality raise serious questions about the effectiveness of the state's justice system, a Dhaka court on Sunday sentenced Sohel Rana and his wife, Swapna Khatun, to death in the rape and murder case of eight-year-old Ramisa Akter in Pallabi.

Judge Masrur Salekin of the Children Violence Suppression Tribunal in Dhaka Metropolitan delivered the verdict on Sunday.

The judge in the observation of the verdict said the case represented a difficult test of society's conscience, humanity and commitment to the rule of law.

The verdict came just 19 days after the crime, marking one of the fastest trials in recent years.

Under Section 9(2) of the Women and Children Repression Preve...