Abdul Hannan Molla, the father of child victim Ramisa, appeared in court on Sunday to hear the verdict in the case over the rape and murder of his daughter in Pallabi, Mirpur.
He arrived at the Dhaka Metropolitan Court premises in the morning as crowds gathered around the courthouse ahead of the much-anticipated verdict.
Abdul Hannan Molla entered the courtroom at 10:27am. He wore a panjabi, a cap and a face mask. Witnesses saw him enter quietly with his head lowered. Lawyers later arranged a seat for him on a bench inside the courtroom. Two of his nieces accompanied him to the court.
The court is scheduled to deliver the judgment at 11:00am in the Dhaka Metropolitan Children Violence Prevention Tribunal.
Judge Masrur Salekin will pronounce the verdict. The two accused in the case, Sohel Rana and his wife Swapna Akter, have already been produced before the court.
Authorities tightened security around the court premises ahead of the verdict. Additional police personnel were deployed, while members of various intelligence agencies in plain clothes remained on duty.
Earlier, on 4 June, the court fixed Sunday for the verdict after hearing closing arguments from both the prosecution and the defence. The trial concluded in just four working days.
According to the case statement, Ramisa, a second-grade student, left her home in Pallabi on 19 May. Neighbour and tenant Swapna Akter allegedly lured the child into her room.
Later, family members recovered the headless body of the girl from the accused’s room while searching for her.
On 20 May, Ramisa’s father, Abdul Hannan Molla, filed a case with Pallabi Police Station.
The brutal killing sparked outrage across the country. Ramisa’s family and many others now await the verdict in the widely discussed case.
