Dhaka Bar Lawyers to abstain from defending accused in Ramisa murder case

Lawyers of the Dhaka Bar Association have decided not to represent the accused in the rape and murder case of seven-year-old Ramisa Akter, citing social responsibility and strong protest against the brutality of the crime.

The decision was taken unanimously by the executive committee, according to a statement confirmed Friday morning (May 22) by the association’s General Secretary Mohammad Kalam Khan on his verified Facebook page.

In the post, he wrote that no member of the Dhaka Bar would provide legal representation for the accused in the case, reflecting the bar’s collective stance on the incident.

The move comes amid nationwide outrage following the killing, which has sparked widespread condemnation and demands for swift justice.

Ramisa was found dead inside a flat in Dhaka’s Pallabi area earlier this week. Police recovered her mutilated body from under a bed, while her severed head was later found in a bathroom container. A murder case was subsequently filed at Pallabi Police Station.

Police arrested the wife of the prime accused shortly after the incident, while the main suspect, Sohail Rana, was later detained from Narayanganj’s Fatullah area.

Investigators say the accused later gave a confessional statement under Section 164 before a Dhaka court, admitting to the crime. Authorities are continuing their investigation into the case.