Court orders trial against Sohel-wife, witness testimony set for June 2

The formal trial in the rape and murder case of eight-year-old Ramisa began on Monday (June 1) after a Dhaka court framed charges against the two accused, bringing the high-profile case into the judicial hearing stage.

Judge Masrur Salekin of the Dhaka Metropolitan Child Abuse Prevention Tribunal framed charges against prime accused Sohel Rana and his wife Swapna Akter after hearing arguments in court.

The court also fixed Tuesday (June 2) for the start of witness testimony in the case.

The accused were brought to court from jail in the morning under tight security. Sohel Rana was kept in the holding cell of the Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court, while Swapna Akter was placed in the women’s custody cell.

They were later produced before the tribunal during proceedings.

Earlier, on May 24, the court had set the date for the charge hearing after taking cognizance of the charge sheet submitted by the investigation officer.

Police had filed the charge sheet against Sohel Rana and his wife Swapna Akter, and the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court later accepted it and transferred the case to the child abuse tribunal for trial.

During the hearing, prime accused Sohel Rana told reporters that he was not solely responsible for the crime, claiming that another individual, identified as “Dollar,” was involved. He also claimed that he only committed rape while the killing was carried out by the same person. Sohel Rana further questioned the DNA testing process.

Prosecution lawyer Azizur Rahman Dulu said efforts would be made to ensure a swift conclusion of the case. Legal aid lawyer Rayhana Nazneen Jui, however, noted that while lower court proceedings may move quickly, the execution phase could face delays in higher courts.

According to the case details, Ramisa was abducted from her residence in Pallabi on May 19. Her dismembered body was later recovered from a residential flat in the area.

Following the incident, police arrested Sohel Rana from Narayanganj’s Fatullah area, while his wife was detained at the scene. The victim’s father filed the case with Pallabi Police Station the following day.

Sohel Rana later gave a confessional statement before a Dhaka court, admitting involvement in the crime. 

In his statement, Sohel said that around 9:30am on May 19, when Ramisa came out of the house, his wife Swapna Akhter took the child inside the room. Then Sohel took her to the bathroom and raped Ramisa, leaving her unconscious.

In the meantime, he said, the victim’s mother kept knocking on the door. Sohel stated that he then killed the child by slitting her throat. He further said he attempted to conceal the crime by severing the head with a sharp knife and partially cutting both arms at the shoulders. He later moved the body from the bathroom to the bedroom and placed it under the bed, and also inflicted injuries to the victim’s genital area with a knife.

He added that his wife was present in the same room during the incident. Sohel said he later escaped by cutting the window grill. The accused also told the court that he had no prior enmity with the victim’s family and claimed he had been under the influence of drugs.

The tribunal said the trial proceedings will now continue in regular court sessions as scheduled.