Ramisa murder: Charge sheet likely today

Police are set to submit the charge sheet today in the rape and murder case of eight-year-old Ramisa in the capital’s Pallabi area on May 19.

The Criminal Investigation Department handed over the chemical analysis and DNA reports to the investigation officer yesterday.

Meanwhile, the government has said the formal trial proceedings in the case would begin after the Eid-ul-Azha holidays.

Contacted by The Daily Star yesterday, Mostak Sarker, deputy commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (Mirpur Division), said, “We’ve received the post-mortem, chemical analysis, and forensic reports. We’re hoping to submit the charge sheet tomorrow [today] following the government’s directives.”

Meanwhile, according to an office memo issued by the Law and Justice Division yesterday, the government has appointed Supreme Court lawyer Advocate Mohammad Azizur Rahman Dulu as a special public prosecutor to ensure a swift and effective trial.

On May 19, Ramisa was found beheaded in the house of her neighbour, Sohel Rana, 31, after she was raped and killed. Sohel fled shortly after the incident, while his wife, Swapna Akhter, 26, was arrested from the scene.

Sohel was arrested from Narayanganj’s Fatullah later that evening. The next day, he made a confessional statement before a magistrate, who then sent him to jail. Swapna was sent to jail by another Dhaka court as an accomplice in the crime.

Speaking at a programme at the capital’s BRAC Centre yesterday, Law Minister Mohammad Asaduzzaman said the formal trial proceedings would begin after Eid, adding that filing the charge sheet without the DNA report could have raised questions about the trial later.

The minister also addressed delays in High Court approvals of death sentences. “After a trial court delivers a death sentence, the case goes to the High Court for approval, where preparing the paper book often takes a long time, delaying the final verdict. The government is now working to speed up the process and make it more efficient.”

At a separate event, Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapon said the government has taken all necessary measures to quickly bring the perpetrators to justice.

Speaking to journalists after a meeting of the Sher-e-Bangla AK Fazlul Huq Foundation at the International Mother Language Institute in the capital’s Segunbagicha, he said public outrage and media coverage over such incidents would help the government formulate stricter laws against child abuse.

Meanwhile, protests continued for the fifth consecutive day, demanding justice for Ramisa and stronger measures to ensure the safety of women and children.