State and defense express satisfaction over trial completion in just 4 working days; Government considers the verdict a milestone in crime suppression.
DHAKA | June 7, 2026
The court has ordered the death penalty for the prime accused, Sohel Rana, and his wife, Swapna Akhter, in connection with the brutal rape and subsequent murder of an eight-year-old child in Pallabi, Mirpur, in the capital. Today, Sunday (June 7), Judge Masrur Saleheen of the Dhaka Metropolitan Child Violence Suppression Tribunal announced this historic verdict. Delivered just 19 days after the incident and following a brief judicial process of only four working days in the tribunal, this ruling stands as a unique milestone in crime suppression within the country’s judicial history.
Alongside the death penalty, the court fined prime accused Sohel Rana BDT 5 lakh and his wife Swapna Akhter BDT 2 lakh. According to the tribunal’s directives, this fine will be recovered by selling the movable and immovable properties of the convicts and then handed over to the victim’s family. Both the state and defense lawyers expressed complete satisfaction with the verdict.
According to the case documents, on May 19, police recovered the mutilated body of the child from a flat in a building in Pallabi. On the same day, police detained Swapna Akhter, a resident of that flat, while the prime accused, Sohel Rana, who had fled by breaking a toilet grill, was arrested from Fatullah in Narayanganj that evening. Subsequently, on May 20, the accused gave confessional statements in court. On June 1, formal charges were framed against them, and after completing arguments and hearings within just four working days, the final verdict was delivered today.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman expressed deep satisfaction with the swift completion of the trial for this brutal murder. Today, at a meeting of the Parliamentary Business Advisory Committee, he praised the relevant ministries and law enforcement agencies for quickly identifying and bringing the criminals to justice, reaffirming the government’s commitment to maintaining a “zero tolerance” policy against crime.
Declaration: In light of the Prevention of Women and Children Repression Act and institutional policies, the identity of the victim child and their family has been withheld in this report for legal protection.
📊 Court Verdict and Core Case Information
- Type of Crime: Brutal murder after raping an eight-year-old child inside a flat, followed by the recovery of the mutilated body.
- Final Punishment: Death penalty for both the main accused Sohel Rana and his wife Swapna Akhter.
- Financial Penalty: Fine of BDT 5 lakh for Sohel Rana and BDT 2 lakh for Swapna Akhter.
- Property Seizure: Directives to sell the movable and immovable properties of the convicts to provide the fine amount to the victim’s family.
- Record Trial: Full disposal of the case within 19 days of the incident and through just 4 working days of hearings.
💬 Reactions of Lawyers and Policymakers [Direct Quotes]
“The swift investigation, identification, and arrest of the criminals in a brutal and heartbreaking murder case reflect the government’s firm commitment to maintaining law and order.”
— Tarique Rahman, Prime Minister (At the meeting of the Parliamentary Business Advisory Committee)
“The accused Sohel Rana had given a confessional statement. The verdict announced the death penalty for both. The criminals received the right justice for their crime; I am satisfied with this verdict.”
— Musa Kalimullah, State-appointed Defense Lawyer
“In this verdict, I got what my heart expected and desired. By the grace of Almighty Allah, we received the desired verdict. I want to see this verdict executed swiftly.”
— Victim’s Father
📌 References:
- Dhaka Metropolitan Child Violence Suppression Tribunal Court Proceedings (June 7, 2026).
- Parliament Secretariat Press Release & Pallabi Police Station Administration Records.
