Ramisa murder trial may conclude within 5-7 days: Home minister

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has said the trial over the rape and murder of eight-year-old Ramisa Akter in the capital's Pallabi area could be completed within five to seven days, adding that the investigation has been swiftly completed and the charge sheet is ready for submission to the court.

He made the remarks today (24 May) while responding to questions from journalists at a dialogue organised by the Bangladesh Secretariat Reporters Forum at the media centre of the Secretariat.

The minister said the government is prioritising the quick arrest and trial of offenders in such cases. Referring to the case over the rape and murder of Ramisa, he said the prime accused was arrested within seven hours of the murder and later gave a confessional statement before the court. Based on the statement, his wife was also arrested for allegedly assisting in the crime.

He added that DNA testing was completed quickly with court approval, while the postmortem report has already reached investigators. All evidence and reports have now been compiled into the chargesheet, which was submitted to the court today (24 May).

The minister also said the government is considering cancelling court holidays to ensure a speedy trial and has appointed a special public prosecutor (PP) to conduct the case.

Responding to concerns over a rise in child rape and murder cases, Salahuddin Ahmed said the trend reflects social degradation and a crisis of values, blaming the erosion of religious and cultural values for the increase in such crimes.