'May no other parent lose a child this way,' says Ramisa’s father demanding death penalty for accused

The father of eight-year-old Ramisa Akter, who was raped and murdered in the capital's Pallabi area, has demanded the highest punishment for the accused, saying no other parent should have to endure such a tragedy.

"I expect justice for the brutal rape and murder of my innocent child. I want a fair trial and speedy execution of the verdict. May no other parent lose a child this way. May no family suffer such heartbreak," Abdul Hannan Molla told reporters after appearing before Judge Masrur Salekin of the Dhaka Metropolitan Children Repression Prevention Tribunal around 9am today (2 June) to give testimony on the first day of trial.

Key witnesses in the case, including magistrates, medical officers, evidence collection officers and local residents, are expected to testify today after 17 witnesses were summoned by the court yesterday (1 June).

Meanwhile, around 8:45am, the main accused Sohel Rana was brought to the court from Keraniganj Central Jail and his wife Swapna Khatun from Kashimpur Jail.

They are currently being held in the lock-up of the Dhaka Metropolitan Court and are scheduled to be produced before the courtroom around 9:45am, while proceedings in the case are expected to begin at 10:30am.

Yesterday, the court framed charges against the accused and ordered the start of the trial, fixing the date for testimony recording on the same day.

Earlier, on 24 May, the case's investigating officer, SI Ahiduzzaman of Pallabi Police Station, submitted a chargesheet against Sohel Rana and Swapna Akter.

The chargesheet was later presented before the court of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Ashraful Haque, who took cognisance of it and transferred the case to the Dhaka Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal for trial.

On the same day, Judge Masrur Saleqin accepted the chargesheet and fixed 1 June for the hearing on charge framing.