A group of demonstrators blocked the Mirpur 10 roundabout on Friday afternoon, calling for exemplary punishment for the rape and murder of seven-year-old Ramisa Akhtar in Pallabi, Dhaka.
The protest began around 3pm, with participants occupying the busy intersection and chanting slogans such as “We want justice” and “Justice before Eid,” halting all vehicular movement. Police officers remained stationed nearby as the demonstration continued.
Ramisa Akhtar, a second-grade student at Popular Model High School, was killed on 19 May. She left her home at around 9:30am and was allegedly lured into a flat by Swapna Akhtar. The child’s parents discovered the horror at 10:30am when they found her shoes outside the suspect’s room.
After receiving no response to their calls, they broke down the door, finding Ramisa’s headless body on the bedroom floor and her head in a large bucket.
Swapna Akhtar reportedly told the family that her husband, 30-year-old Md Sohel Rana, had confined Ramisa in the bathroom, where he raped and then beheaded her. Sohel Rana escaped by cutting through a window grill.
Pallabi Police initially arrested Swapna Akhtar for assisting in the crime. Following information obtained during her interrogation, officers conducted a raid in Fatullah, Narayanganj, where they successfully apprehended Sohel Rana.
