After the rape and killing of an eight-year-old schoolgirl in Pallabi, the main accused, Sohel Rana, has now shifted responsibility onto a man named Dollar from Mirpur.
Sohel claimed he only dismembered the child's body, while Dollar committed the rape and murder.
The court of Judge Masrur Salekin of the Dhaka Metropolitan Child Violence Prevention Tribunal on Monday framed charges against Sohel and his wife, Swapna Akhter, ordering the trial to begin. On his way from court to jail, Sohel made a statement to journalists.
Sohel was produced in court from Keraniganj Central Jail at around 7:45am, while Swapna was brought from Kashimpur Jail. They were kept in custody at the Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court before being brought in for the hearing.
Special Public Prosecutor Azizur Rahman Dulu, representing the state, said during the hearing: “The child was called to the house and raped in the bathroom. At one stage she fell unconscious. Later, the accused, thinking her dead, slit her throat and severed her body to hide evidence. Her hands and feet were also cut off inside the bathroom.”
He added that suspicion arose when the child’s mother could not find her and noticed blood inside the accused’s flat. Sohel fled the scene, while Swapna told neighbours her husband had committed the crime. Police later arrested both.
Defence lawyer Musa Kalimuliah argued that the investigation was rushed and lacked eyewitnesses, objecting to the charges.
The judge read out charges against Sohel, who sought permission to speak but was denied. Charges against Swapna were also read, alleging she helped destroy evidence instead of preventing the crime. Swapna broke down in tears, asking her husband if she was guilty. Sohel claimed she was innocent.
After framing charges against both, the court set Tuesday for testimony.
Later, Sohel told lawyers in the dock: “I did not rape her, I only cut up the body. Dollar raped her. I committed a sin, punish me for that sin.” He alleged Dollar had promised him Tk2 lakh to bring the girl.
On his way back to jail, Sohel told journalists: “Dollar’s house is in Mirpur-11. Dollar is the main accused in the rape and murder. My wife is not guilty. Dollar is to blame. I am to blame too, but not that guilty. I just cut the child into two pieces.”
Police recovered the body from a flat in Pallabi on May 19. They said Sohel slit the child’s throat and severed her head before fleeing. Swapna was arrested from the flat, while Sohel was later detained in Narayanganj. He confessed in court.
The child’s father filed a case with Pallabi Police Station the same day, accusing Sohel and Swapna. After investigation, police submitted a charge sheet against the two on May 24, which was accepted by the tribunal.
