The hearing on the framing of charges in the horrific rape and murder case of seven-year-old Ramisa in Mirpur, is scheduled for 1 June, with authorities expressing confidence that the trial could conclude within five to seven working days.
Judge Masrur Salekin of Dhaka Metropolitan Children Violence Suppression Tribunal passed the order on Sunday after charges were pressed against Sohel Rana and his wife Swapna Akhter.
Pallabi Police Station Sub-Inspector Ohiduzzaman submitted the chargesheet at the Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court. Magistrate Ashraful Haque accepted the document and ordered the case transferred for trial. Both accused were subsequently remanded to jail.
Earlier in the week, Sohel Rana recorded his statement before Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Aminul Islam Junaid, while Swapna Akhter was produced before Magistrate Md Ashraful Haque. Following hearings, both were ordered detained.
According to case 35 filed with Pallabi Police Station on 19 May, Swapna Akhter allegedly lured the seven-year-old neighbour from her flat. Around an hour later, while searching for their daughter, the child’s parents noticed her shoes outside the accused couple’s room.
Upon raising an alarm, neighbours and family members broke down the door and discovered the girl’s headless body. Her severed head was found in a large bucket inside the flat.
Swapna Akhter reportedly confessed at the scene that her husband had locked the child in the bathroom, raped her, and slit her throat. As a crowd gathered, Sohel Rana fled by cutting through a window grill but was arrested hours later near Fatulla in Narayanganj.
Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed, speaking at an event at the Secretariat on Sunday, affirmed the government’s commitment to expediting the trial.
“We have appointed a special Public Prosecutor solely to work on this case. Considering all factors, we are hopeful that this trial will be completed within five to seven working days,” the Minister said.
He highlighted the rapid progress of the investigation: the accused was arrested within seven hours, a confessional statement was recorded within a day, DNA testing was completed in three days with court permission, and the autopsy report was finalised. “Putting all these together, the work of preparing the chargesheet was completed by Saturday night,” he added.
In a move to uphold fair trial standards, the Law and Justice Division’s Solicitor Wing has appointed Advocate Musa Kalimullah of the Dhaka District Bar Association as State Defence Counsel for the accused.
The appointment, issued on Saturday, relates to Case No. 1390/2026 before the Dhaka Metropolitan Children Violence Suppression Tribunal.
The case is registered under Section 9(2)/30 of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act 2000, along with Sections 201 and 34 of the Penal Code.
Previously, the government appointed Advocate Azizur Rahman Dulu as Special Public Prosecutor to lead the prosecution on behalf of the state.
The incident has sparked widespread outrage across Bangladesh. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman visited the bereaved family to offer condolences and assured them of swift and exemplary justice.
