Protests erupt over Ramisa’s killing
The rape and murder of seven-year-old Ramisa Akter — a bright second-grader from Dhaka’s Pallabi neighbourhood — has unleashed a torrent of public anguish across the country, with demonstrations erupting in the capital and beyond and demands rising from every corner of society for swift justice and an end to the cycle of impunity in crimes against children.
Ramisa, a top student of Class 2 at Popular Model High School, was found dead on Tuesday
morning after going missing from her family’s apartment in Section 11 of Pallabi.
Police recovered her decapitated body from a neighbouring flat at around 11:00am. She had been raped and killed on 19 May.
The main suspect, neighbour Sohel Rana, 30, was detained by Mirpur Division Police in Narayanganj’s Fatullah the same evening at around 7:00pm.
His wife, Swapna Khatun, 27, was also arrested. Rana has since given a confessional statement before a Dhaka court, while Swapna has been remanded to jail custody.
Streets fill with grief and anger
On Wednesday evening, students gathered at Shahbagh in front of the National Museum under the banner “Justice For Ramisa,” chanting slogans for child safety and demanding the strictest punishment for perpetrators of rape, murder and sexual assault.
The demonstration, which began at around 3:30pm, reflected a wider mood of collective grief that has swept the country since the killing became public.
At Dhaka University, Jatiya Chhatra Shakti staged a torch procession condemning the killing.
The Bangladesh Islami Chhatri Sangstha, DU unit, formed a human chain at the Raju Memorial Sculpture near TSC on 20 May.
Placards questioned the safety of women and children and criticised what demonstrators called a culture of impunity.
DU unit president Sadikunnahar Tamanna said weak justice and the absence of exemplary punishment were encouraging repeat crimes.
The Jagannath University unit of Islami Chhatri Sangstha also held a human chain on the evening of 20 May at the university premises.
JnU leader Sukimon Khatun warned that public outrage typically fades within days, allowing the same culture of impunity to persist.
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman visited the Pallabi home of Ramisa’s family on Wednesday evening and personally assured her father that justice would be delivered in the shortest possible time.
Protests spread beyond Dhaka
Demonstrations were not confined to the capital. In Rangpur, the Samajtantrik Mahila Forum and Samajtantrik Chhatra Front organised a human chain and rally on 21 May, presided over by Rina Murmu, metropolitan organiser of the Samajtantrik Mahila Forum.
Speakers including women’s leader Hiramoni Akhter Hasi and Chhatra Front metropolitan president Jugesh Tripura demanded speedy trial and exemplary punishment for all those responsible.
Political condemnation
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Dr Shafiqur Rahman described the killing as a shame for humanity in a Facebook post, and called for justice without delay.
The party also held a protest rally at the south gate of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque on 20 May, where Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar demanded the formation of a speedy tribunal.
Jamaat leaders also called for the resignation of the home minister, alleging a failure to protect women and children.
Government vows fast-track trial
Officials have sought to address public anger with pledges of a rapid legal process.
Law Minister Md Asaduzzaman said the case had been assigned the highest priority and ordered the Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioner to submit the investigation report within a week.
He drew comparisons with previous high-profile cases where chargesheets and trials were completed within short timeframes.
Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed echoed those assurances, saying an exemplary trial would be completed in the shortest possible time following prompt submission of the chargesheet.
He said the court would determine the punishment, but that the government would ensure fast legal proceedings.
For the thousands who have taken to the streets over the past two days, Ramisa’s killing has come to represent something larger than a single criminal case.
Across Shahbagh, Dhaka University, Jagannath University, Rangpur and other protest venues, demonstrators have converged on the same demands: justice for Ramisa, a swift trial, and structural change to ensure that children — and women — are safe in Bangladesh. Whether those demands translate into lasting reform remains to be seen.
