A Dhaka tribunal has issued a cautionary directive regarding the publication and broadcast of statements made by accused persons while in police custody in the case filed over the rape and murder of eight-year-old Ramisa Akter in Pallabi, Dhaka.
The directive was issued on Tuesday (June 2) by Judge Masrur Saleqin of the Dhaka Metropolitan Child Violence Suppression Tribunal following a petition by the prosecution.
During the hearing, Special Public Prosecutor Advocate Azizur Rahman Dulu told the court that, under the law, an accused person has no right to make statements while in police custody except before a magistrate. He noted that the High Court has issued clear directives on the matter. He urged the court to take necessary measures to prevent accused persons in police custody from making statements and to stop the dissemination of such statements in the media, arguing that they could influence the judicial process.
After hearing the application, the court granted it and directed the relevant authorities to take necessary steps.
The recording of witness testimony began at 10:35 am. The complainant in the case and the victim’s father, Abdul Hannan Molla, testified first, followed by the victim’s mother, Parveen Akter.
After their testimonies, they were cross-examined by state-appointed defence counsel Musa Kalimullah.
As the victim’s elder sister, Raisa Akter, is a child witness, her testimony was recorded through an in-camera trial. By 12:30 pm, a total of 10 witnesses had testified.
According to court sources, the prosecution has listed 17 witnesses in the case, including members of the victim’s family, local eyewitnesses, the officer who seized evidence, investigating police personnel, doctors, magistrates, and forensic experts. Most of the witnesses were present in court during the hearing.
Earlier in the day, the prime accused, Sohel Rana, was brought to court from Keraniganj Central Jail, while the other accused, Swapna Akter, was produced from Kashimpur Jail. They were kept in the court lock-up before the hearing and later brought before the tribunal during the testimony proceedings.
On Monday (June 1), the same tribunal framed charges against the two accused and ordered the trial to begin. The court also issued summonses requiring the prosecution witnesses to appear before it.
According to the case documents, Ramisa Akter’s body was recovered from a flat in a building in the Mirpur-11 area of Pallabi on May 19. Following the incident, her father, Abdul Hannan Molla, filed a case with Pallabi Police Station. After completing the investigation, police submitted a charge sheet to the court, which was accepted on May 24. The case was subsequently transferred to the Dhaka Metropolitan Child Violence Suppression Tribunal for trial. Witness testimony is currently underway.
