A special tribunal here today framed charges against the prime accused, Sohel Rana and his wife, Swapna Akter in a case lodged over the rape and murder of second-grade student Ramisa Akter in the city’s Pallabi area.
 
Judge Masrur Salekin of the Dhaka Metropolitan Children Violence Suppression Tribunal passed the order, officially initiating the trial of the case that shook the entire nation.
 
The court also set June 2 for recording witness depositions in the case.
 
Ramisa, a Class-2 student of Popular Model High School, was raped and subsequently beheaded by her neighbour Sohel Rana at his flat in the Millat Camp area of Pallabi on May 19. Ramisa’s father filed the case the following day.
 
The government, on May 23, appointed Advocate Azizur Rahman Dulu as Special Public Prosecutor to conduct the trial on behalf of the state before the Dhaka Metropolitan Children Violence Suppression Tribunal, a recently constituted tribunal dealing exclusively with cases of violence against children.
 
The appointment came shortly after Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s announcement that the maximum punishment for Ramisa’s killer will be ensured within one month.
 
Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Md Asaduzzaman also said that the government is committed to ensuring the speedy trial of the Ramisa murder case.
 
Police on May 24 submitted a charge sheet against alleged rapist and killer Sohel Rana and his wife and alleged partner in the crime, Swapna Akter. 

Accepting the charge sheet, the tribunal that day set today for holding a hearing on charge framing.
 
The government later that day appointed Advocate Musa Kalimullah as state defence counsel to represent the accused before the tribunal.
 
A gazette notification issued by the Solicitor Wing of the Law and Justice Division said the state defence counsel has been appointed to conduct Case No. 35 of Pallabi Police Station on behalf of the accused.