Staff Reporter:
The trial court recorded testimonies from 16 of the 18 listed prosecution witnesses in a single day on Monday, and set Tuesday for the defence to present its arguments in the case over the rape and murder of eight-year-old Ramisa Akter in Mirpur.
Judge Masrur Saleqin of Dhaka Metropolitan Child Repression Prevention Tribunal recorded the statements of the witnesses.
Ramisa’s mother Parveen Akter, father Abdul Hannan Molla, sister elder sister Raisa Akter, aunt Mahmuda Akter, uncle Mizanur Rahman Liton, fourth-floor resident Monir Hossain, neighbour Zakirul Islam Raju, second-floor resident Sheikh Abu Sama, uncle-in-law Moniruzzaman Shahin and Constable Roma Akter were among the witnesses.
State-appointed defence counsel Musa Kalimullah cross-examined the witnesses during the hearing.
According to case documents, Ramisa, a Class II student at Popular Model High School, went missing on the morning of 19 May after allegedly being lured into the accused’s flat.
After searching for her throughout the house, the parents discovered her shoes in front of the apartment of next-door neighbour and prime accused, Sohel Rana, 34.
They banged on the apartment’s door but in vain – forcing them, with support from neighbours, to break in.
Ramisa’s parents discovered her dismembered body inside the apartment and informed police.
The head was severed from the body and dumped in a water-bucket.
Police subsequently detained Swapna at the scene and later detained Sohel Rana in Narayanganj.
The case was filed by her father the next day. The main accused, Sohel Rana gave a confessional statement before a court on 20 May, admitting that he sexually assaulted and later killed the child.
