Verdict Reading Begins in Ramisa Murder Case
File Photo
The reading of the verdict has begun in the case involving the rape and murder of child Ramisa Akhter in Pallabi, Dhaka.
On Sunday, Judge Masrur Saleheen of the Dhaka Metropolitan Child Violence Suppression Tribunal started reading the judgment.
The two accused, Sohel Rana and his wife Swapna Akhter, stood in the dock and listened as the verdict was read. Earlier, they were brought to court from prison.
Police recovered Ramisa’s body from the couple’s apartment on May 19 in Pallabi. On the same day, her father filed a case at Pallabi Police Station, naming Sohel Rana and Swapna Akhter as accused. Both were arrested shortly after the incident.
On May 20, Sohel Rana gave a confessional statement in court. Later, on May 24, the investigating officer, Sub-Inspector Ohiduzzaman of Pallabi Police Station, submitted a charge sheet against both accused. The Metropolitan Magistrate Ashraful Haque accepted the charge sheet the same day and sent the case to the Child Violence Suppression Tribunal for trial, where charges were formally framed.
After the Eid holidays, the trial began on June 1. The next day, testimony from 16 witnesses—including the victim’s parents and sister was completed in just four hours. On June 3, during self-defense proceedings, Sohel Rana admitted his guilt and sought forgiveness from the court, while Swapna Akhter claimed innocence. After closing arguments on June 4, the court set June 7 for the verdict.
Professor Dr. Sarkar Ali Akkas of the Department of Law at Jagannath University said that post-verdict procedures must also be ensured promptly and that, not only in this case but in all cases, efforts should be made to ensure justice is delivered within a reasonable timeframe.
