In the Pallabi murder case involving seven-year-old Ramisa, the primary accused, Sohel Rana, has admitted to the rape but denied the murder charges, attempting to shift the blame to another individual. While being brought to court for the charge-sheeting hearing, Sohel Rana stated to reporters, "I am only raping, the dollar is killing me," referring to a new figure named "Dollar." He also maintained that his wife, Swapna Akhter, is innocent. Sohel Rana further claimed that a DNA test was not conducted at the time and was written automatically, identifying "Dollar" as a wealthy resident from Mirpur's house number 11 who allegedly gave two lakh taka.
On Monday (June 1), Sohel Rana was transported from Keraniganj Jail and Swapna Akhter from Kashimpur Jail, arriving at the Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court jail at approximately 7:45 am. At 10:30 am, Judge Masrur Salekin of the Dhaka Metropolitan Child Violence Prevention Tribunal ordered the formal framing of charges following the hearing. The tribunal has scheduled the commencement of witness testimony for tomorrow (June 2).
This follows the submission of the charge sheet on May 24 by the investigation officer, SI Ahiduzzaman of Pallabi Police Station, to the Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court. The investigation officer stated that the charges of rape and murder against Sohel Rana, alongside charges of aiding and abetting against Swapna Akhter, have been proven, with 18 witnesses cited in the case. The case was subsequently transferred to Judge Masrur Salekin's court, completing four major legal phases: the initial investigation, DNA testing, the filing of the charge sheet, and its judicial consideration.
Addressing the timeline of the proceedings, Public Prosecutor (PP) Azizur Rahman Dulu stated he would fulfill his responsibility to ensure the case concludes quickly, leaving the remaining decisions to the tribunal. When questioned about assurances of a speedy trial by the Prime Minister and Home Minister, he declined to comment on political statements, reiterating his focus on his professional duties.
According to the case complaint, on May 19 at around 9:30 am, Ramisa Akhter, a second-grade student at Popular Model High School, left her home and was deceptively lured into a flat by Swapna Akhter. During a subsequent search, Ramisa's family and neighbors forced entry into the apartment, discovering her headless body on the bedroom floor and her severed head inside a bathroom bucket. Sohel Rana initially fled the scene by cutting through a window grill but was later apprehended by police in Narayanganj. Both accused individuals have previously given confessional statements in court and remain in custody.
