A Dhaka court on Sunday sentenced Sohel Rana and his wife Swapna Khatun to death for the brutal rape and throat-slitting murder of second-grade student Ramisa Akter in the capital's Pallabi area.

Dhaka Metropolitan Child Violence Suppression Tribunal Judge Masrur Salekin delivered the landmark verdict in a packed courtroom on Sunday afternoon, noting in his observations that medical evidence confirmed the child was raped and suffered multiple bodily injuries before being murdered.

The court further pointed out that the prime accused, Sohel, had voluntarily confessed to his guilt as he made no subsequent application to withdraw his confession while his wife Swapna actively assisted him in his attempt to flee.

Expressing his immediate reaction after the verdict was announced, Ramisa’s father, Abdul Hannan, expressed his absolute satisfaction and demanded that the judgment be carried out without delay.

“I am 100% happy, Alhamdulillah. I have received the expectation and desire I had in my heart from this verdict. InshaAllah, I am fully hopeful that the verdict will be implemented soon,” Hannan said.

He also expressed his profound gratitude to those who stood by his family, adding, “By the mercy of Almighty Allah and within the timeframe given by the Honourable Prime Minister, we have received the expected verdict. I sincerely thank the honourable judge, the police administration, journalists, and the people of Bangladesh who supported me and my family during our difficult time. I definitely want to see the swift execution of my daughter’s murder verdict.”

The high-profile verdict concluded an exceptionally fast-track trial that drew widespread public attention.

Earlier in the morning, police brought Swapna Khatun to the court around 8:30 am, followed by the principal accused, Sohel Rana, who arrived in a prison van from jail at 8:50 am, before both were kept in the court lockup ahead of the proceedings.

The formal judicial process moved rapidly after the court framed charges against the couple on June 1, ordering the commencement of the trial.

The recording of testimonies began the very next day on June 2, during which the court completed the deposition of 16 out of 18 prosecution witnesses in a single day.

On June 3, during the self-defense hearing, both defendants claimed they were innocent, a defense the tribunal ultimately rejected in light of the overwhelming evidence.

The horrific incident traces back to the morning of May 19, when Ramisa, a student of Popular Model High School, left her room around 9:30 am and was tactfully lured into the couple's apartment by Swapna.

Around 10:30 am, Ramisa's mother went out to look for her daughter so she could head to school, eventually spotting the child's shoes outside Sohel’s door.

Getting no response after repeatedly knocking, Ramisa’s parents and residents from neighboring flats broke open the door, only to discover the child's headless body on the floor of Sohel's bedroom and her severed head placed inside a large bucket.

Following a call to the national emergency service 999, police rushed to the scene and took Swapna into custody, later tracking down and arresting Sohel Rana from outside the Fatullah Police Station in Narayanganj using information technology, leading to the formal filing of the murder case by the victim's father at the Pallabi Police Station on May 20.