The parents and sister of the eight-year-old girl who was allegedly raped and murdered in the capital’s Pallabi area met with the prosecutor assigned to the case on Sunday, ahead of today’s charge hearing in the case.
The meeting took place at the Segunbagicha chamber of special public prosecutor Azizur Rahman Dulu, where the investigation officer of the case, sub-inspector Ohiduzzaman of Pallabi police station, was also present, the victim’s family members said. The meeting was held as part of taking preparations for the prosecution’s submission during the charge hearing.
Neither the prosecutor nor the investigation officer disclosed details of the discussion.
‘I will seek the framing of charges against the two accused, Md Sohel Rana and his wife Swapna Akter, on the first day of the hearing,’ Dulu said. ‘I will also request the tribunal to set a date for recording the testimony of key prosecution witnesses as early as possible, preferably from Tuesday.’
Meanwhile, Supreme Court lawyer Musa Kalimullah, who was appointed by the state on May 24 to provide legal assistance to the accused couple, said that he had not yet received the official case records.
‘I only received a WhatsApp copy of my appointment before the Eid holidays,’ Musa said. ‘I know a little about the case dossier at this stage. However, I will be able to make submissions if I receive the documents before the hearing.’
Law minister Md Asaduzzaman on Sunday said that the government would seek the maximum punishment for those responsible for the child’s rape and murder.
Speaking at a programme at Shailkupa, Jhenaidah, the minister said that the government expected justice based on the evidence collected during the investigation.
‘Our expectation is that the maximum sentence for the accused will be awarded if the evidence proves the charges,’ he said.
Police on May 24 submitted a 47-page charge sheet and supporting documents in connection with the rape and murder of the child, whose dismembered body was recovered from a neighbouring apartment in the Pallabi area on May 19.
Investigation officer Ohiduzzaman submitted the charge sheet, which named 17 prosecution witnesses, including the parents of the victim, only five days after the incident amid nationwide demands for a speedy trial.
Judge Masrur Salekin of the Dhaka Metropolitan Child Violence Prevention Tribunal accepted the charge sheet and fixed June 1 for a hearing on the framing of charges against Sohel Rana, a rickshaw mechanic, and his wife Swapna Akter.
The accused were not represented by private lawyers after the Dhaka Bar Association decided not to provide legal representation in the case.
According to investigators, police recovered parts of the victim’s body from Sohel’s residence in Pallabi’s Section 11 on May 19.
Her severed head was later found in a bucket inside the flat.
The victim’s father filed a case with Pallabi Police station on May 20, alleging that neighbour Sohel Rana, a drug peddler, took his daughter to his room, raped her, killed her and dismembered the body in an attempt to conceal the crime. He also accused Swapna Akter and an unidentified person of involvement in the incident.
On May 20, a Dhaka court sent Sohel to jail after he reportedly confessed to the rape and the murder. Swapna, who was charged with assisting her husband in the crimes by damaging the evidence of the crimes, was also sent to jail by another court.
The Criminal Investigation Department handed over DNA and viscera examination reports to the police on May 23. On the same day, the law ministry appointed Supreme Court lawyer Azizur Rahman Dulu as special public prosecutor to conduct the trial on behalf of the state.
The case has drawn widespread public attention and renewed calls for swift justice and stronger protection of children from sexual violence.
