Lawyers hail swift verdict in Ramisa case
Supreme Court lawyers have welcomed the rapid conclusion of the Ramisa rape and murder case, saying the swift trial and delivery of the verdict demonstrate that justice can be ensured without unnecessary delays while maintaining due legal process.
The reactions came after the Dhaka Metropolitan Children Violence Suppression Tribunal sentenced two convicts to death for the rape and brutal killing of eight-year-old Ramisa in the capital’s Pallabi area.
President of the Supreme Court Bar Association Barrister A M Mahbub Uddin Khokon said the case was tried and disposed of within a remarkably short period and resulted in capital punishment for the accused.
He noted that the judgment must now be sent to the High Court Division for death reference confirmation before the completion of all remaining legal procedures and eventual execution of the verdict.
“The judgment will now have to be sent to the High Court (HC) Division for death reference confirmation. After completion of all legal formalities, the verdict should be executed,” he told BSS.
Khokon stressed that exemplary punishment is necessary to discourage serious crimes and urged authorities to ensure prompt submission of charge sheets and speedy trials in other brutal criminal cases as well.
Senior Supreme Court Advocate Salauddin Dolon also welcomed the verdict, saying there was no indication that the judicial process had compromised the legal rights of the accused despite the speed of the proceedings.
“I fully support speedy trials in cases involving heinous crimes such as the rape and murder of children.
If justice is delayed for years, the impact and effectiveness of that justice diminish significantly,” he said.
Supreme Court lawyer Barrister Sabrina Zerin described the verdict as exemplary and said the case demonstrated that courts can conduct fast-track proceedings while fully complying with legal requirements.
“The judgment has demonstrated that it is possible to conduct a speedy trial while strictly adhering to the law. In that sense, it is a landmark example.
If such prompt trials continue, criminal tendencies in society will decline,” she added.
Earlier on Sunday, Judge Masrur Salekin of the Dhaka Metropolitan Children Violence Suppression Tribunal sentenced Sohel Rana and his wife Swapna Akter to death for the rape and murder of Ramisa.
The court also imposed fines of Tk 500,000 on Sohel Rana and Tk 200,000 on Swapna Akter in addition to the death penalties.
Ramisa’s dismembered body was recovered from a flat in Pallabi on May 19.
According to case details, Sohel Rana fled the apartment by breaking the grill of a bathroom window before the body was found. His wife was detained from the flat, while Sohel was arrested later the same evening from the Fatullah area of Narayanganj.
The victim’s father subsequently filed a case with Pallabi Police Station.
On May 20, both accused gave confessional statements before the court of Metropolitan Magistrate Aminul Islam Junaid in Dhaka.
The tribunal framed charges against the accused on June 1 and ordered the trial to begin immediately.
After recording witness testimonies, hearing defence statements and concluding arguments, the court fixed June 4 for delivering the verdict and subsequently pronounced the judgment.
