Testimony in the Pallabi child rape and murder case begins today (June 2). On Monday, Judge Masrur Salekin of the Dhaka Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal formally framed charges against the accused, officially launching the trial phase.
The prime accused, Sohel Rana, and his accomplice, Swapna Akhtar, were present in court during the hearing. The trial is proceeding based on a police charge sheet backed by DNA, autopsy, and forensic reports, which the court officially accepted on May 24.
The horrific incident occurred on the morning of May 19. Ramisa, a second-grade student at Popular Model High School, was allegedly lured into the accused's apartment by Swapna. When Ramisa’s mother began searching for her, she noticed her daughter's sandal outside the accused's locked door.
After receiving no response, Ramisa's parents and neighbors broke down the door. Inside, they found Ramisa’s decapitated body on Sohel Rana's bedroom floor, with her head recovered from a bathroom bucket.
Following a 999 emergency call, Pallabi police arrived at the scene, recovered the body, and detained Swapna. Using digital tracking, authorities later arrested Sohel Rana in front of the Fatulla Police Station in Narayanganj.
Ramisa's father, Abdul Hannan Mollah, filed the murder case at the Pallabi Police Station. On May 20, Sohel Rana gave a confessional statement in court, admitting to the crime and stating he was under the influence of Yaba at the time of the murder.
