Ramisa murder trial: Sohel seeks forgiveness, Swapna denies charges

Prime accused Sohel Rana has sought acquittal and expressed remorse before a Dhaka tribunal during his examination in the high-profile case involving the rape and murder of eight-year-old schoolgirl Ramisa Akter in the capital’s Pallabi area.

Sohel made the plea while appearing before the Children Violence Suppression Tribunal in Dhaka, where Judge Masrur Salekin also examined his wife and co-accused Swapna Khatun.

During the proceedings, both Sohel Rana, 31, and Swapna Khatun, 26, denied the allegations brought against them, maintaining that they were innocent. Sohel told the court, “Sir, I am innocent. I seek acquittal. Please pardon me.”

He also attempted to shift responsibility by alleging the involvement of a person named “Dollar” from Mirpur-11, claiming that this individual was present during the incident. Sohel insisted that investigators had failed to apprehend the alleged accomplice.

However, the prosecution rejected his claim. Public Prosecutor Azizur Rahman Dulu argued that the mention of “Dollar” was a deliberate attempt to mislead the court and obstruct justice. He said the accused had never mentioned this name in his earlier confessional statement and suggested that the claim was being made under external influence.

Meanwhile, co-accused Swapna denied all charges, stating that she had no involvement in the crime.

The tribunal is scheduled to hear closing arguments on Thursday, according to court officials.

Earlier, the court had completed witness testimony within a single day after framing charges. A total of 16 prosecution witnesses, including the victim’s family members, neighbours, medical professionals, magistrates and investigators, gave depositions in the case.

According to the charge-sheet, Ramisa, a Class II student, was allegedly lured into Sohel Rana’s residence before being raped and murdered, with attempts made to conceal the crime.