Ramisa Murder & Rape Case Chargesheet To Be Submitted Within Shortest Time: Home Minister

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed stated that Sohail, the prime accused in the sensational Ramisa rape and murder case in the capital's Mirpur, along with his accomplice wife, were arrested within 24 hours of the incident. The primary accused has rendered a confessional statement under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. A fair investigation into this case will be completed within the shortest possible time to submit the chargesheet to the court.

The Minister made these remarks this afternoon during a press briefing organized on the current law and order situation at the conference room of the Ministry of Home Affairs in the Bangladesh Secretariat.

The Minister said that since the current government took office, the police have taken immediate action with the highest professionalism regarding every heinous crime committed in the country. The perpetrators of every incident have been brought to justice in the fastest possible time, and there has been no exception to this.

Mentioning two types of activities by law enforcement agencies to improve the law and order situation in the country, the Minister said that the police are working in both 'Pro-active' and 'Re-active' methods to curb crime. The ongoing drives against drugs, extortion, and terrorism are essentially 'Pro-active' or preventive measures to ensure crimes do not take place. On the other hand, in case of unwanted crimes like rape or murder, 'Re-active' measures are being taken to arrest the accused and complete investigations in the quickest time.

The Minister further informed that after assuming office, the current government has re-enlisted and initiated investigations into several important and sensational cases that had been pending and awaiting trial for a long time. Among these, the Tonu murder case, involving a student of Victoria College in Comilla, is prominent. One accused in this case has been arrested, and the DNA matching process is ongoing, while another accused has already been identified. Besides, all accused involved in every incident—including the gang rape in Comilla, the rape of a young woman in Bogra, the five-murder case in Kapasia, and the expatriate murder in Manda, Dhaka—have been caught red-handed and arrested.

Referring to the special combing operations and block raids by the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) to maintain a stable law and order situation, the Home Minister said that tight security searches and block raids have been underway in Dhaka’s Mohammadpur, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, and Adabor areas since the first week of May. In addition, drives conducted in Jatrabari and Tejgaon police station areas on May 18 and 19 led to the arrest of 41 and 63 warranted criminals and muggers, respectively. Long-time fugitives have also been arrested in Chittagong and the Ukhiya-Teknaf region during special drives by RAB-15.

In response to a journalist's question regarding legal reforms, the Minister said, "Law reform is an ongoing process, and all laws will be updated according to the demands of the time." However, he cautioned that it is not expedient to enact laws or form special courts in a hurry, driven by emotion to mitigate temporary anger. Care must be taken to ensure that no 'injustice' occurs or that strict laws are not misused while trying to ensure speedy justice. He commented that instead of creating new courts or tribunals, increasing the number and capacity of the existing Women and Children Repression Prevention Courts is financially and administratively more logical.

Replying to another query from journalists regarding the implementation of the 'Citizenship Amendment Act' (CAA) in West Bengal, India, and the remarks of the Chief Minister of West Bengal concerning pushbacks, the Home Minister explicitly stated, "This is entirely an internal affair of India. India's 'CAA' or Assam's 'NRC' are their own laws and regulations for their citizens. There is no room for us to comment on that. However, the BGB remains on maximum alert at the Bangladesh border to prevent any form of illegal infiltration (Push-in)."

Regarding the rumors and legal stance concerning the return of the former Prime Minister of the previous government to the country, the Minister said, "We want her back in the country through due legal process. A formal request has been made through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in accordance with the existing extradition treaty to return her, so that she can face the trial in Bangladesh."