Weight of unanswered crimes from Sagar-Runi to Ramisa
The brutal rape and murder of seven-year-old Ramisa Akter in Dhaka’s Pallabi has shaken the conscience of the nation and ignited protests across the country.
Our newspaper on Friday reported that from Shahbagh to Dhaka University, Jagannath University and Rangpur, citizens have taken to the streets demanding justice, accountability and stronger protection for women and children.
Yet the public anger surrounding Ramisa’s killing reflects something deeper than grief over one horrifying crime.
It reflects a growing fear that justice in Bangladesh is too often delayed, weakened or forgotten.
Ramisa was a bright Class 2 student whose life ended in unimaginable brutality.
The swift arrest of suspects and the government’s assurances of speedy justice are important first steps.
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman personally visited the victim’s family, while the law and home ministers promised that the case would receive the highest priority.
However, the public response shows that many citizens remain unconvinced by promises alone.
The most haunting words came from Ramisa’s grieving father, Abdul Hannan Mollah.
Looking at journalists gathered in his home, he asked whether justice had ever truly been achieved in the murders of journalist couple Sagar Sarowar and Meherun Runi.
More than a decade after their brutal killing, the case remains unresolved despite repeated investigations and assurances from successive authorities.
For many Bangladeshis, the Sagar-Runi case has become a painful symbol of delayed justice and institutional failure.
That is precisely why the protests over Ramisa’s murder have resonated so strongly.
Citizens are demanding more than arrests and official statements.
They want certainty that influential suspects cannot exploit procedural delays, legal loopholes or financial influence to escape punishment.
Every unresolved case weakens public trust and reinforces the belief that justice often favours the powerful while ordinary citizens are left waiting indefinitely.
The outrage seen in the streets today is therefore not only about Ramisa.
It is about years of frustration over unresolved crimes, slow trials and fading accountability.
Bangladesh cannot afford another tragedy that disappears from headlines while legal proceedings drag on endlessly.
A transparent, credible and speedy trial in Ramisa’s case is essential not only for one grieving family but also for restoring faith in the rule of law.
The state must prove that justice in Bangladesh is not reserved for the influential alone.
The nation is watching, and this time justice must not be delayed into silence.
