Child rape-murder: HC orders appointment of lawyers for death-row convicts Sohel, Swapna

The High Court has directed the Solicitor's Office to appoint state-funded defense lawyers for death row convicts Sohel Rana and his wife Swapna Akhter in connection with the rape and brutal murder of an eight-year-old child in the capital's Pallabi area.

The bench of Justice Bhishmadev Chakrabortty and Justice K M Rasheduzzaman Raja passed the order on Tuesday.

Deputy Attorney General Mohammad Imam Hossain Tareq stated, "The paperbook for the Pallabi murder case was prepared last Sunday, and I received it on Monday. The High Court has now instructed the Solicitor's Office to appoint state-assigned defense counsel to represent the convicts."

Previously, the Dhaka Metropolitan Tribunal for Prevention of Violence Against Children sentenced both accused to death. In addition, the court fined Sohel Rana BDT 500,000 and Swapna BDT 200,000.

Following the verdict, the case documents were forwarded to the High Court, where the paperbook was prepared in an expedited timeframe of just two working days. The two convicts filed separate jail appeals through the prison authorities, which the High Court accepted for hearing.

According to the case details, the minor girl was raped and brutally murdered. Police later recovered her dismembered body from a flat in Pallabi. While Swapna Akhter was detained from the residence immediately after the incident, the prime accused, Sohel Rana, escaped by cutting through the grilles of a restroom window. He was subsequently arrested by law enforcement from Fatullah in Narayanganj the same evening.

The victim's father filed a formal case with the Pallabi Police Station following the incident.