Ramisa’s father, Abdul Hannan Molla, said he is “100 per cent satisfied” after a Dhaka tribunal on Sunday sentenced Sohel Rana and his wife Swapna Akhter to death for the rape and murder of eight-year-old Ramisa Akter in Pallabi, Mirpur.
He said, “Alhamdulillah, I am 100 per cent happy. I have received the expectation and desire of my heart through this verdict. Inshallah, I am fully hopeful that the verdict will be implemented quickly.”
He added that the judgment came within the timeframe he expected.
“By the mercy of Almighty Allah and within the time given by the Prime Minister, we have received the desired verdict,” he said.
The victim’s father expressed gratitude to the judge, police administration, journalists and people of Bangladesh for standing by him and his family during their difficult time.
He said he wants the verdict to be executed without delay.
The Dhaka Metropolitan Child Violence Suppression Tribunal delivered the verdict around 11:40am. The court also fined Sohel Rana Tk5 lakh and Swapna Akhter Tk2 lakh.
The judge ordered that both convicts be hanged by the neck until death.
Reading out the verdict summary, Judge Masrur Salekin said the prosecution had successfully proved that Ramisa was raped and murdered on the morning of 19 May.
The court cited testimony from Nasat Jabin of Sohrawardi College and the post-mortem report prepared by SI Iqbal, confirming rape and murder.
It also referred to Sohel Rana’s confessional statement before a magistrate, where he admitted to raping the child in the bathroom of his room and later killing her. He also said he dismembered the body after hearing noise outside and cut off her head before placing it in a bucket.
The court said Swapna Akhter was inside the flat during the incident and did not intervene. It added that she helped Sohel Rana escape by cutting a grill.
“Swapna Akhter is guilty of the same crime as Sohel Rana. She did not resist, nor did she try to save the child. She actively helped the accused flee,” the judge said.
Convicts were brought to court under tight security. Sohel Rana arrived at 8:50am and Swapna Akhter at 8:30am. They were produced before the court at around 10:45am and 10:56am respectively.
Both wore handcuffs, bulletproof jackets and helmets.
After the verdict, Swapna Akhter broke down in tears while sitting on a chair. Sohel Rana stood silently. Swapna had also begun crying earlier during the court’s review of the judgment.
Ramisa’s father attended the hearing and fell ill during proceedings around 11:11am. People present assisted him with a fan and helped him recover. He remained seated with his head bowed.
According to the case statement, Ramisa was a second-grade student at Popular Model High School. On 19 May, Swapna Akhter lured her into their room, where she was raped and murdered.
When the child went missing, her mother searched for her and found her shoes in front of the accused’s room. Neighbours broke down the door and recovered the mutilated body.
Police were alerted through the national emergency number 999. They arrested Swapna Akhter on the spot, while Sohel Rana was later arrested from Fatullah in Narayanganj.
Ramisa’s father filed the case at Pallabi Police Station on 20 May. Sohel Rana later gave a confessional statement before the court.
Police submitted the charge sheet on 24 May. Charges were framed on 1 June. The court recorded testimony from 16 of 18 witnesses before delivering the verdict.
