Ramisa Murder: Wife held after husband, investigation deepens

Police have arrested Swapna, wife of the prime suspect Sohel Rana, in connection with the brutal killing of seven-year-old schoolgirl Ramisa Akter in Dhaka’s Pallabi area.

The latest move by the Dhaka Metropolitan Police marks a new twist in the high-profile murder case.

Her husband, Sohel Rana, 30, a rickshaw mechanic, was earlier arrested in the same case. Police say both suspects have provided details about the circumstances surrounding the killing.

The information was disclosed on Tuesday night (May 19) at a press briefing by Dhaka Metropolitan Police (Dhaka Metropolitan Police) Additional Commissioner SN Nazrul Islam.

According to police, the incident took place after Ramisa went missing while being sent to school. Her mother later found her sandal near the couple’s rented flat, which led to suspicion.

Police said the accused couple had been living in the opposite flat for about two months, while the victim’s family had lived in the same building for nearly 17 years.

Investigators said the victim was allegedly killed inside the flat while her mother was searching for her outside. Authorities further alleged that the accused attempted to help the main suspect escape by keeping the door locked for an extended period.

Sohel Rana allegedly fled through a window grill but was later arrested from Narayanganj after tracking his movements through digital intelligence, police said.

Earlier, police recovered the child’s mutilated body from under a bed in the flat, while the severed head was found in a bathroom. The body was later sent to Dhaka Medical College Hospital morgue for autopsy.

Police said the motive is still under investigation, and forensic and chemical reports are awaited to confirm details of the crime.