The trial over the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Dhaka’s Pallabi began just 13 days after the crime, following widespread public outrage. Yet many similar cases remain stuck in the investigation stage for months, raising concerns over unequal treatment and inconsistent urgency within the criminal justice system.
Five days before the Pallabi incident, another sexual violence case involving allegations of gang rape took place in a remote hilly area of Chattogram’s Satkania. But police still cannot say when the investigation report in the case will be submitted.
The Pallabi case triggered widespread condemnation on social media and extensive coverage in media. By contrast, the Satkania incident received far less public attention.
The contrast has renewed debate over whether similar crimes repeatedly occurring across the country receive different levels of attention from law enforcement and the justice system.
Rights activists say the pace of official action appears to reflect that disparity.
The contrast extends beyond those two cases.
On 20 May, a day after the Pallabi incident, the body of a teenage student was recovered from a Qawmi madrasa about 15 kilometres away in Dhaka’s Banasree area. Although a suspect has been arrested, authorities have not indicated when the investigation report will be submitted to the court.
Human rights advocates and legal analysts argue that the differing levels of urgency shown in similar criminal cases expose broader inequalities within Bangladesh’s law enforcement and judicial systems.
Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh President Manzill Murshid said cases often move more quickly when they attract the attention of influential political or state figures.
“This reflects a structural weakness within the justice system,” he told TIMES of Bangladesh.
The response to the Pallabi killing was swift and highly visible.
Following the child’s death, the Prime Minister and the Home Minister visited her family. An investigation report was submitted to the court within five days, while the Law Minister publicly announced in advance when the trial proceedings would begin.
In contrast, police say their investigation into the alleged gang rape in Satkania remains incomplete.
Asked about progress in the case, Satkania Circle Additional Superintendent of Police Ariful Islam Siddique said five of the seven accused had been arrested and efforts were continuing to capture the remaining two suspects.
When asked why the investigation report had not yet been submitted, he said police were waiting for the medical examination report.
Pressed on when that report might arrive, he replied, “It could take two months, four months, or sometimes even six months.”
Asked whether that meant the investigation report itself could also be delayed by as much as six months, the police officer responded, “That is possible.”
After the body of the madrasa student was recovered in Banasree, police said they had found indications of sexual assault.
Asked about the progress of the case, Rampura Police Station Inspector (Investigation) Md Bahar Mia told TIMES that investigators had already received the victim’s DNA test report and arrested a suspect.
“However, under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act, there is still time to submit the investigation report,” he said.
When asked why the case had not progressed as quickly as the Pallabi case, where an investigation report was submitted and trial proceedings began within days, the police officer declined to comment.
Dhaka University law professor Borhan Uddin Khan said that although all citizens are equal before the law, practical limitations often affect the pace of justice.
“Constraints within the justice system, social realities and the overwhelming volume of cases continue to hinder speedy trials,” he said.
“The courts have long been burdened by a backlog of cases, making it difficult for all investigations and trials to proceed at the same pace, even though every case is equally important to the victims.”
Similar delays can be seen in other recent cases.
Police have yet to complete investigations into the alleged rape of a 71-year-old widow in Damurhuda, Chuadanga, on 20 May, or the alleged rape of a four-year-old child in Chattogram’s Bakalia the following day.
In the Bakalia case, local residents surrounded a suspect immediately after the incident, leading to clashes with police. Despite the public reaction, the investigation remains unfinished.
Professor Khan said cases that attract exceptional attention from the state, the media and public opinion often move through the system more quickly.
“Investigations and trial proceedings tend to advance faster in cases that remain under intense scrutiny from the state, the media and the public,” he said.
Bangladesh Nari Mukti Kendra President Seema Dutta said both high-profile and lesser-known cases were having a damaging impact on society, but many incidents failed to receive adequate public attention or institutional intervention.
She also expressed concern that allegations of sexual abuse in madrasas are often not investigated thoroughly.
Questions raised over speed of Pallabi rape investigation
Questions have also emerged over whether the investigation into the Pallabi rape and murder case was completed too quickly.
During the hearing on charge framing, the main accused, Sohel Rana, told the court that he did not rape the child but had dismembered the body after the killing.
“I did not commit the rape, I only cut the body. Someone named Dollar committed the rape,” he told the court. “I committed a sin, and I should be punished for that sin.”
The identity of the person referred to as “Dollar” has not been established in court documents, and investigators say they have been unable to verify the claim.
Sohel Rana further alleged in court that Dollar had promised him Tk2 lakh if he could bring the girl to him. But police stopped him from explaining the matter fully.
He also alleged that police had not conducted his DNA test.
Sohel Rana also claimed that the second accused in the case, his wife Swapna Akter, was innocent.
When asked why investigators had failed to identify or trace the person named in court, Pallabi Police Station Sub-Inspector Ahiduzzaman told TIMES that Sohel Rana had mentioned the name “out of personal hostility”.
However, the investigating officer could not explain who Dollar was or whether police had attempted to identify him.
Defending the investigation, the officer said, “There are no shortcomings in my investigation. This is the best investigation in Bangladesh.”
But concerns over the speed and quality of the investigation have also been raised by lawyers involved in the case.
State-appointed defence lawyer Musa Kalimullah argued before the court that the investigation had weaknesses.
“The investigation was completed in haste. Police also failed to present any eyewitnesses,” he said in a brief statement.
Human rights lawyer Manzill Murshid also questioned the unusually rapid completion of the investigation.
“Questions will naturally arise when an investigation is completed within four days,” he said.
“Since Sohel Rana has already been arrested, there is little reason for him to falsely accuse someone out of hostility at this stage.”
He also referred to the legal principle often summarised by the phrase “Justice hurried, justice buried”, warning that excessive haste can sometimes undermine the fairness of judicial proceedings.
