Ramisa is gone: Heart immersed in dull, icy darkness

Currently, the familiar classroom of the second grade at the Popular Model School in Mirpur is enveloped in silence. Outside, the sun blazes, yet the interior of the room is shrouded in a dull, icy gloom. The bench where Ramisa, the class's top student, would sit daily to organize her books with remarkable skill, feels even more desolate and quiet today. The charming girl, who excelled in first grade after securing second place in play and kindergarten, is now adorned with trophies from the school that celebrate her abilities. Although the trophies remain, Ramisa, whose radiant smile once brightened the entire room, is absent today.

The father, who just the day before yesterday wore his tattered three-year-old sandals and believed that no matter what befell him, his children must not endure hardship, is now weeping as he embraces his daughter's unaware classmates. This unfortunate father possesses countless images of his daughter on his mobile device, yet he lacks the strength to view even a single photograph of Ramisa.

This is because his seven-year-old child has tragically become a lifeless body, a casualty of a monster's depravity. We avert our gaze even when we hear cries; this is a significant issue.

In the wake of that horrific moment, Ramisa's mother mournfully recalled, "I heard a scream, but I did not realize it was my daughter's." The girl stood in the doorway with only one shoe on; the assailant did not grant her the opportunity to put on the other shoe, or perhaps one was lost in the struggle. Before the innocent child could comprehend the situation, the lurking darkness seized her and pulled her into the abyss. When she heard her daughter's screams, the mother assumed it was merely another child's typical wailing, possibly from a neighboring apartment.

Isn't our society today also trapped in a dreadful stupor, much like this mother? Daily, we witness numerous signs of injustice in the streets and alleys surrounding us, observe the walls of the buildings, and hear the cries of countless children perishing in the streets. But we think, wrapped in a strange self-centeredness—'That's the crying of someone else's house, my own child is safe!' Doesn't this so-called 'gentleman' culture, which disregards the happenings in the neighboring flat and the plight of those whose homes are engulfed in darkness, embolden murderers to act with impunity?

Has our state and society truly become entirely blind and deaf? Behind the closed doors of this oblivious society, how many more thousands of Ramisas will be forced to the sacrificial altar in this manner? How much more blood will be required to reinforce these mathematical calculations? This pressing question must be directed towards the stagnant laws of our country, the inert courts, and the slumbering consciences of each one of us.

Some uninformed individuals often claim that the attire of girls is responsible for teasing and rape. When countless flowers like Ramisa are subjected to vile desires while still in their buds, how can clothing be blamed for such atrocities? Just as Nanda Ghosh's vile music must be halted, so too must he be stopped.

Social failure or the illusion of citizenship. The headless corpse of a seven-year-old innocent child, along with the severed head found on the bathroom floor—this is not merely the horror of the child murderer; it serves as a damning testament to our collective social decay. Today, we are preoccupied with trivial disputes over petty power politics, factionalism, and personal agendas, while neglecting our own responsibilities as citizens. What is there to take pride in regarding a citizenship that fails to ensure the safety of a small child?

What is the worth of this rod cement wall that enables the murderer to carry out crimes without any hesitation? We perceive glitter and clothing as symbols of nobility, but ultimately, is this unprotected society the outcome we desire? Our interactions with our neighbors and the security system of our neighborhood have entirely deteriorated. We invest in costly CCTV cameras at our entrances, yet we ignore the threats posed by those in the adjacent room. When an individual can perpetrate such a heinous act by securing the door of an apartment in broad daylight, and those around him remain oblivious for an extended period, it becomes evident that our social connections have crumbled like a house of cards. The inhuman individual who did not hesitate for a moment to take the life of a child deserves neither sympathy nor leniency in the eyes of the law.

We may spend years debating trivial issues, but after the life of an innocent child has been taken, we cannot afford to waste time. If we do not exemplify strict justice, Ramisa will continue to suffer, and our lamentations will only grow. Why should the judiciary be enveloped in bureaucratic intricacies in matters of such public significance? How many dreams will be shattered? When we observe the statistics of violence against women and children on television or in newspapers, they appear to us as mere lifeless mathematical figures. However, we must remember that behind each statistic lies a living individual, an unfulfilled aspiration, and the primary motivation for a family's survival. When the little girl in our home departs with a schoolbag slung over her shoulder and a smile gracing her face, can we honestly place our hands on our hearts and assure ourselves that she will return home with that same smile? This perpetual fear should not exist in the minds of any parent; it is unacceptable.

This is my suffering, your suffering, everyone's suffering; it reflects the failure of the judiciary and the limitations of the state.

Ultimately, Ramisa will never return to her mother's embrace, nor will she respond to her teacher's call upon hearing roll number 'one'. However, if the blood stain she left behind fails to stir our dormant society and awaken it today, then we too are complicit in the crimes committed.

Today, those of you reading this article from the comfort of your secure homes should take a moment to observe the faces of your children playing in the corners of your houses. If we cannot take to the streets today to protest against the cruelty inflicted upon Pallavi, irrespective of our political affiliations or opinions, then tomorrow, behind the closed doors of this indifferent society, another pair of Ramisa's slippers may be found abandoned in solitude.

We desire for every girl child, every young girl in this nation, to live in safety and with dignity. Furthermore, we demand that every rapist and murderer be eradicated from society—swiftly, decisively, and without hesitation.